Tara Story
by Ira-Grace White
Summary: This is my take on Tara's early life. It covers her introduction to the FBI and a bit of her past. I am rating this as T because she has been through some tough things as I don't want to surprise anyone. However, I will NOT be explicit or use bad language. My hope is that you will be able to enjoy a look into the past of one of the agents that the show told us almost nothing about!
1. Chapter 1-Start of the Day

Tara Williams sat up slowly, blinking sleepily as her alarm clock went off, announcing that another day of her life was beginning whether or not she was ready to face it. _6:30. Time to wake up, girl. You want to get to the office early to get a head start on those reports_ , Tara chided herself. She reluctantly pushed down the covers and swung her legs out of bed. She blinked at her calendar. It was the second week of June. Summer had definitely arrived in D.C.. She had barely been able to fall asleep last night due to a small heat wave and a broken fan. _Note to self: ask the people at the office if they know someone who can fix fans. I can't really afford a new one this month._

Tara slowly picked up speed as she got ready for her day. Showering, eating breakfast, drinking a cup of coffee, and getting ready took twenty minutes, and then Tara was out the door. Just as she grabbed her purse from next to the door her cell phone started ringing. Tara answered it while heading out to her car.

"Williams."

"Williams here too. What a coincidence!" Tara could not help but laugh at her uncle's joke once again. Uncle Rick could always brighten her day. He and her mom's sister, Aunt Stacey, had raised her due to the fact that her parents disliked the responsibility that came with a child. To Tara's everlasting regret, they had done a lot of damage before passing their little daughter off to their willing relatives. She was glad that her parents were no longer part of her life and had let Uncle Rick and Aunt Stacey become her legal guardians when she was six years old.

"Fancy that. Did you get my package?" After several weeks of planning the perfect Father's Day gift for her uncle Tara was very anxious that it arrive safely.

"Yes, I did. With all the red marks of 'Do not open until Father's Day' all over this box in _someone's_ distinctive handwriting, am I to guess that you have sent me something that you don't want me to open until Sunday?"

"Wow, Uncle Rick! You have great observation skills. Maybe you should come join the FBI team here."

Tara paused next to car. She did not want to talk on her cell phone while driving. She never did unless absolutely necessary during a case. But she did not want to end the conversation with her uncle.

 _The Bureau's not far from here. I'll walk_ , she decided, and began to hurry in that direction of the city.

"I don't think so," Uncle Rick said. Tara was confused.

"Don't think what?"

"I was answering your question, Fuzzy. You know, about joining the FBI. I don't think that I could handle the level of caffeine you say that is prevalent in your office."

Tara laughed. Her uncle's calling her "Fuzzy" was a joke between the two of them. Once, when she was eight years old, he had asked her why her face was all scrunched up as she was sitting at the table, "thinking". Her answer had been that she had a lot of fuzzy ideas in her head and that she was trying to get them to be clear. It had been a family joke ever since.

"Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what's in that box, sweetie. I wish you were coming home, though. Stace and I miss you a lot."

"I know. I miss you too." _I really, REALLY do_. "I'll try to come home a bit later in the summer for a bit."

"I'll hold you to that."

"Do that."

"How's your F.B.I. family? It's just D, Myles, Jack, Bob, and Sarah there now, right?"

"His name's Bobby, Uncle Rick, not Bob. You're the only one who ever called him that. He told me after your last visit. And you're almost right, except Sarah isn't our rotor anymore."

"Did those boys scare another one off?"

Tara laughed. "Not quite." Her uncle had visited the day that Michelle, two rotors back, had resigned from her job on their team. Jack and Bobby had been heavily involved in her reasons to quit. It had not been that Michelle did not like the men, but she had been a target of their pranks one time too many. After finding a plastic spider in her coffee - Michelle had a very severe phobia of spiders - the frazzled rotor had resigned, earning Jack and Bobby a temporary grudge from the rest of the agents. Michelle had been an excellent rotor, and the team had missed her greatly. Sarah had been an okay replacement, but she had never become too involved with the team, preferring to cultivate friendships with other secretaries and rotors. She had transferred to a better paying placement four months ago.

"Who's your rotor now then?"

"Lucy Dotson. She's great. She and Myles are actually dating."

"Oh." Her uncle paused. "Is this Lucy weird, then?"

Tara laughed again. "No, she is surprisingly nice and normal. A match maker and forever romantic, but fairly normal - except for dating Myles!"

"Good. I'd say that you all have a crazy enough group there in that office without another crazy one."

"Are you calling me crazy, Uncle?" Tara teased.

"Well, there was a reason you were known in the Williams clan as 'Tararist'". The two chuckled. Tara realized that her walk was passing quickly. She was just five minutes from her work. She glanced up at the sky. Beautiful and clear, without a cloud in sight. It was Friday, and she was glad that the weather seemed nice enough for her to make some outdoor plans for the evening.

Turning her attention back to her phone call, Tara heard her aunt saying something in the background, but could not quite hear what she said. Uncle Rick relayed it. "Your aunt wants to know if you've been taking care of yourself." She heard Uncle Rick turn from the phone and say, "Honey, she's still talking. Nothing can be too wrong with her."

"That doesn't mean anything. She'd chatter away in a coma," Aunt Stacey retorted.

Tara grinned at that true fact. "Tell Aunt I'm fine. I've been taking that vitamin she recommended and I have more energy now. I also drink orange juice each morning so I'm fine."

Uncle Rick relayed the message and Tara heard her aunt say worriedly, "Tell her not to drink too much orange juice. It's very sugary and she doesn't want diabetes. She should probably limit it to half a cup a day or eat real oranges."

Tara rolled her eyes, thankful that her aunt could not see. There were a few hassles involved with having a sports nutritionist as your functioning mother. On the other hand, she did need to stay fit for the job, and Aunt Stacey's always well-meaning hints were useful. It was all said in love, and Tara did appreciate it, despite her defiance in drinking two glasses of orange juice that morning.

"Hear that, Tar, or should I relay it?" Uncle Rick asked with his usual relaxed good humour.

"I heard," Tara replied.

"Well, I've got to go, Tara. Your aunt and I are going to a church meeting and then on to work, so we'll call you later. I just wanted to let you know that your package arrived in one piece."

"Thanks, Uncle Rick. I'll call again on Sunday and talk to you and Aunt Stacey then."

"Sounds good, honey. Just don't call when we're at church."

"Okay." Tara knew the times her aunt and uncle would be at church. All her childhood she'd gone too. But her aunt and uncle's faith was not her faith, at least not yet. _Maybe someday_ , she told herself. At least her aunt and uncle understood. They knew that she struggled with wondering why a good God let bad things happen to innocent people every day. When they could, they provided answers. When they could not, they just told her what they did know and let her know that they would pray for her.

"We're praying for you, Tara. We love you." _Did Uncle just read my mind?_

"Thanks, Uncle. I love you and Auntie too."

"God bless. Bye."

"Bye." Tara heard the call end, then closed her phone. She was nearly to the office. Now she was passing several gift stores and office complexes before arriving at work.

Tara paused next to a greeting card shop and peered inside. All the merchandise in the front window was about fathers and their children. Tara almost turned away. She had her uncle, but sometimes it still hurt that her own father had not cared for her except for...well, he did not care for her as _her_. He had only seen her as an object that could be treated as he saw fit. The cruelty of her early years still hurt.

Just as she moved to turn away she noticed a small plaque in the side of the display case. In swirling writing she saw the words etched, "You may not be father in the normal sense of the word, but you have been a dad in my life and changed my very world."

"I wish that I had seen that when I was shopping for Uncle Rick," Tara muttered, then noticed the price tag, causing her to chuckle to herself. "I wouldn't have been able to afford it anyways." She thought about the inscription. It definitely applied to Uncle Rick. Suddenly, Tara thought of something. It was one of her "menligflash" moments, a term that she had created to account for when she had a brilliant idea. It was supposed to be short for "mental lightning flash". She had stopped using the term at work after Myles had scorned it. Although the others had remained silent around her after she threatened to hack his computer if he made fun of her again, she had caught Jack and Bobby smirking at her terminology. After that, "menligflash" made only occasional appearances at the office, usually only in front of Lucy or D, who both simply nodded when she mentioned that she had just experienced one.

This particular menligflash was particularly bright, and Tara was sorry that she had not though of it earlier. She was glad that this store opened early. She needed to do something. Her Father's Day shopping was not over just yet.


	2. Chapter 2-The First Day

_It had been three years earlier when Tara had joined the FBI._

Tara waited next to the desk as the security guard made a phone call. This was it-her first day working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Finally all the long days and nights of her conscientious work through high school and college and training at Quantico would be worth it. Today she would be meeting the team that she would be working with as a computer expert.

"Someone will be down in a moment to take you to your supervisor's office, Agent Williams," the security guard told her courteously. Tara nodded at the stocky woman.

 _Agent Williams_. That was her now. A special agent for the FBI. Life could not be better. Or scarier.

Standing in the imposing building with professionals bustling around her, she felt shy and out of place. Surely, little Tara Williams, "nerd" and "geek" was not really supposed to be here.

"Agent Tara Williams?" Tara turned and saw a smiling woman somewhere in her late forties or early fifties looking at her expectantly.

She was here. It was official.

"Yeah." Tara was unsure how she managed to even answer. Her answer, besides sounding unprofessional and uncertain, was very squeaky. Tara winced.

The woman seemed not to notice Tara's nervousness and shook hands with her. "Welcome to the FBI, Tara. I'm Susan, the rotor from your team. I'm here to take you to Mr. Eldridge, your supervisor." Tara, not trusting her voice fully, nodded.

"So, this is your first job with the FBI?" Susan asked, leading the way to an elevator, her high heels clicking a lively rhythm.

"Yes," Tara answered. _I need to stop these one-word answers. Show her that I actually have some brains for the job._ "I just graduated from Quantico."

"You must have done well to have made it onto the team you're joining," Susan said admiringly. "Stan only puts the best on that team."

"Stan?"

Susan laughed. "Oh, Mr. Stan Eldridge."

Tara nodded. "Oh." The elevator doors opened just then and Susan and Tara got in after two men deep in conversation rushed out. Susan pressed the floor number and turned back to Tara.

"Nervous?" Susan's statement was more of statement than a question. Tara tilted her head to the side and fought the urge to twirl her hair. It would not do to look like a little girl even if she felt like one.

"A bit." _That's a lie. I'm VERY nervous!_

"Don't be, honey. The guys on this team are great. They can be quite the kidders and tricksters, but you'll be fine. They need a woman in there to calm them down. I'm rotor for three teams right now - there's a shortage because two are out on maternity leave, one quit, and the other is in the hospital due to a concussion from a car accident - so I'm barely around. At least that is how it feels."

Tara felt a bit of her old panic rising in her chest. _I'll be on a team of all men. My supervisor is a man. And the only other female, Susan, is barely around. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know._

"Here we are," Susan's sunshiny voice broke through Tara's thoughts. "Just follow me, dear, and I'll get you to your team in one piece."

Susan led Tara to a private office. "STAN ELDRIDGE" read the placard next to the door. Tara's heart began to pound in her chest. Susan knocked on the open door, then motioned Tara into the room.

"Hi, Susan," said the African American man, looking up from a pile of papers. His face was lined with a few small wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. Although he looked tired, he smiled and nodded to the rotor. "What can I do for the FBI's best and busiest rotor?"

"Hey, Stan. Well, you could find me a few assistants," Susan laughed, then motioned to Tara. "Actually, I came to present you your newest agent for Shep's team, computer expert and special Agent Tara Williams."

Stan stood and held out his hand. "Ah, Tara Williams, it's good to meet you."

As Stan welcomed her and outlined once again her job and responsibilities, Tara began to feel her heart slow down to a more comfortable tempo. From what she could tell, Stan Eldridge was a man that the world could trust to do his job and do it well. She was fairly certain that she would be fine around him.

"Let's go introduce you to your team," Stan finally said, standing to his feet. He led the way down the long hall. People walked at various speeds in and out of the many doors, some private offices, some conference rooms, some bullpens for different agencies and teams. It reminded Tara of an ant hill. The many people were the worker ants, and the queen ant, although unseen, was the protection of America. It was a worthy queen, one that Tara had worked for over half of her life in preparation to serve.

"Here we are," Stan announced, walking into a room. Tara timidly followed him, her nerves returning in full force.

"People, your attention please." Six pairs of eyes turned toward the door. Tara bit her lip, then quickly stopped. She had to look professional. "I have your new team mate, Tara Williams. She is a computer expert and special agent, and I think that she will be able to bring a lot of assets to this team."

Tara fidgeted as the attention turned to her. She could feel each of the men scrutinizing her. She could feel her checks beginning to burn. She wanted their eyes to leave her alone. She always hated it when men paid attention to her.

"Tara, this is your team. These are Special Agents James Sheppard, Joe Wolf, Jack Hudson, Myles Leland, and Bobby Manning." Tara followed Stan's gaze to connect each man with his name.

"Hi," she said, uncertain of what was now expected of her. _Do I ask "Where do I start?"_

"Where's D?" Stan asked.

"Out meeting a snitch," James answered.

"Hey, Eldridge, was there a meeting I didn't know about?" someone asked behind them. Tara turned and saw an African American man of average height.

"D, I was just asking about you," Stan said. He nodded to Tara. "I was introducing the team to the newest member. This is Tara Williams. Tara, this is Dimitrius Gans."

"Nice to meet you, Tara," Dimitrius answered warmly, holding out his hand. Tara shook it hesitantly.

"Nice to meet you too." _The longest sentence that I got out all day._

"Welcome to the team. It's great to have you working with us." His comments seemed sincere and heart-felt. Tara eyed him warily, but she saw no sign that she should be afraid. This man did seem to be genuine. She decided that she would give him a chance.

"Mr. Eldridge." A secretary hurried up. Tara watched how she was able to hurry so daintily on her pencil-thin high heels. _If I did that with my sense of balance, I would die. Just like when I was in that ballet class. Oh, Aunt Stacey regretted that so much._

"Yes, Rachel?"

"A phone call, sir. It is urgent and requires your immediate attention."

Stan nodded to the secretary. "Thank you, Rachel. Hold it a minute and I'll be right there." Turning to the team, Stan ordered, "Okay, keep up the good work, guys." He noticed Tara and added, "I mean, everyone. I guess that 'agents' would work best now. Introduce yourselves to Tara and help her settle in. D, I'm giving you the job to take care of the rookie. Get her through the week alive and I'll be grateful." And then Eldridge was gone. Tara felt the panic begin to overwhelm her as the agents moved toward her.

"Welcome to the team, Tara. It'll be great to have someone who can figure out the technology around here. It isn't great, but maybe you can make some sense of it." James shook her hand. Tara swallowed hard and managed to whisper out a response that she hoped was intelligible.

"Myles Leland _the Third_ ," the blonde, aristocratic-looking agent said as he gave her hand a firm, professional shake. "Welcome."

"Don't forget 'the third' on his name. He's quite proud of it," Tara heard Dimitrius murmur next to her. There was a hint of humour in his voice.

"Hey there, darling," Joe Wolf said, shaking her hand. Tara inwardly recoiled at the "darling". It was one name that she hated. She had too many bad memories involving it. Her aunt and uncle had known that and never called her by that pet name. "It'll be nice to see a pretty face around the office now." Her fear was nearly suffocating her now. She hated petty compliments that made her feel more like a mannequin than a woman.

"I'm Jack. It's great to meet you, Tara," the next man said. He was younger than any of the others, probably a fairly new agent himself. Tara barely heard his words. She was having problems breathing with the weight of panic in her chest. She felt nearly ready to faint. Her knees were about to buckle...

"G'day, sheila. Welcome to the team," Bobby said, taking her tiny hand in his huge one.

 _Australian. I never expected that. I always wanted meet an Australian to see if they really talked like that. I never guessed that it would happen my first day here_ , Tara thought amusedly. _Wait! I can ask him all about the country and what kind of foods are there and whether wild kangaroos bounce around everywhere and if koala bears are as cute as they look in text books..._ Tara suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that she had been shaking Bobby's hand for way too long. She quickly released and peeked up - way up - to see if he was impatient with her. He did not appear to be, instead smiling at her. _He's so tall. What nice eyes! And his dimples! I bet every girl in this office has flirted with him. Oh, I hope he doesn't think that I have a crush on him. Do I? I don't know, but I don't want to. Oh, dear, everyone's waiting for me to say something. What should I say? Hurry up, brain, think! Say anything!_

"Thank you. I'm very glad to be here finally after all the training and waiting and even more waiting." Tara bit her lip suddenly. When she was nervous she tended to either not be able to speak at all or jabber on a mile a minute. Neither of those would make a good impression of these fellow agents.

"I guess that Eldridge wants me to watch out for you," Dimitrius's kind voice said from Tara's side. "Let me show you your desk and introduce you to the specialties of each agent and our current case load. Does that work for you?" He looked her in the eye, and Tara noticed concern in her gaze. _Oh, great. He must have noticed that I was about to freak out while shaking hands with the others. I'm not even doing anything dangerous and I already look like a chicken. Great going, Tara, just great._

"That sounds wonderful," she replied, willing her voice to be steady. Thankfully her words sounded sure even to her own critical ears. Dimitrius smiled and led her to a vacant desk.

"Well, here you are."


	3. Chapter 3-Booting Up

**Thank you for the kind reviews, everyone. I do want to let you all know that I do plan to do some Bobby/Tara one-shots in the near future. My life is pretty busy right now, but I am enjoying sharing my ideas with you. Please keep the reviews coming! I really appreciate them and they inspire me to keep going!**

After being introduced to the systems being used in the office, Tara settled down at her desk and let Dimitrius attempt to introduce her to the computer system being used. Tara hid an amused smile as Dimitrius attempted to log in to the system with the current password and set it up for her. He apparently did not understand computers well. Tara watched as he tried to "help" her. Finally Dimitrius sighed and shook his head in frustration.

"Uhh! I can't get this to work," he said, annoyed.

Tara silently took over the keyboard and within a minute had herself logged into the system and set up.

"How did you...?" Dimitrius asked, befuddled and surprised.

"D, she's a computer expert. She's supposed to be able to sign into the machine," Myles remarked impatiently, looking up from reading one of the four files he held in his arms. _He's a peppery man._

"Good. We need someone who can get them running," Jack commented, looking up from pouring a cup of coffee. "Want some?" he asked Tara. Tara shook her head.

"I've never seen someone get one of these working so quickly," Dimitrius continued to muse.

"Thanks," Tara murmured as she scanned the screen. The system was simple. After designing her own programs, this would be back to junior high. She could see that some updates would be necessary soon. She would get permission from Eldridge to work on that idea. Maybe there were already people working on that.

"What do you need me to start on?" Tara asked Dimitrius, who was still staring at her screen with the look of a man who just witnessed the miracle of the century. Tara bit her lip to keep back her laughter.

"I guess that you could start inputting this data about our current cases. Maybe your fresh eyes will help us gain some new perspective. This kidnapping case in particular," Shep, which Tara had realized was James's nickname, said as he handed Tara several files. "We've done a lot of work on trying to find Evan Tailor, a wealthy businessman from the D.C. area. All the information is in the file. You can see what we know and what we don't know. Maybe you'll see the clue that links it all together."

"I'll get to work on that right now," Tara said, eagerly opening the file and pored over the information contained therein. With a task to accomplish, Tara threw herself into the work and did not take a single break until lunch. Only then did she take a break due to Bobby coaxing her out of cyberland by waving his hand in front of her computer screen and calling her name repeatedly. Tara had looked up with a dazed look on her face. She noticed Bobby grinning at her, as if she was a joke. She focused on him and shook her head to clear room for non-computer-related information. Bobby's grin grew bigger and his dimples grew more prominent. She blushed, her cheeks tinting a delicate rosy pink.

"Yes?"

"Hey, genius, how about some lunch?" he asked. Tara had a feeling that he might have asked it more than once before she managed to ask, "Lunch?"

"Yes. Unless your computer can feed you, come on with us and get some tucker. We're going to a pizza place near here. The slices are huge and delicious, best in D.C.."

"What's...?" Tara started to ask, then analyzed in her head that "tucker" must mean something to do with food. "Um, sure, I need to eat."

"I'd say. My stomach's angry at me. It's nearly 1:00."

"Really?! The morning went fast," Tara pondered aloud. She reflected on it for a moment, then stood, noticing the other agents waiting expectantly outside the door. Nodding to Bobby to lead the way, she added, "Let's eat!"

...

"Tara. Tara. Tara!" The distant echoes finally registered in Tara's mind that someone was calling her away from her computer. Reluctantly entering the last key stroke, she glanced up and saw Dimitrius looking at her. The expression on his face was a mixture of worry and amusement.

"Yes? Do you need me for something?" she murmured, saving her work out of habit.

"Not really. Are you okay?" Dimitrius asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well, kid, it's past our normal leaving time. I was in a meeting and just got back to grab some of my stuff. Didn't you notice the others going home?"

Tara tilted her head to one side. _Did I?_ "Oh, yeah, Bobby or Jack or Shep or someone told me that it was time for them to go home, maybe..." she glanced at the clock and made some calculations, "maybe an hour and a half ago."

"They probably meant that you should be leaving then too," Dimitrius said with a friendly wink, leaning against her desk. He motioned to the file open in front of her. "You don't need to finish all of those tonight, you know."

"I know, but..." Tara felt her attention drift back towards the file. After years of spending hundreds of hours constantly working on or around computers, she hated shutting them down for the night when there was still work to be done.

"No buts. It'll be there in the morning. Trust me, you don't need to work overtime on your first day. You'll get enough of that in the coming days. Go home and rest."

"Oh, home." Tara bit her lip, thinking of the tiny apartment that she was renting. She hated the idea of going back there again. It felt to lonely. She had never lived alone before this, and the last two nights had nearly driven her crazy without someone nearby. Even though she was never a party girl, it was nice to know that someone else was there in case you needed help reaching something placed too high for a short person to reach or someone to chat with over a mug of hot chocolate when computers just would not suffice.

"Do you have a place to stay yet?" Dimitrius looked concerned. Tara jumped in hastily, not wanting him to worry due to her inability to communicate clearly.

"Oh, I do. I do. I'll be heading there now." She waited for him to move away, but he stayed there. She tilted her head and looked at him quizzically.

"It's my job to watch out for you," he said in a jesting voice. Despite the joking Tara did notice that he had a firm undertone of authority. "I'm waiting for you to actually shut off your computer and leave. I'm serious about not wanting you to burn out by Friday."

Tara looked away. She had seen something close to concern in the agent's dark eyes, something that was new for her coming from a man other than her uncle. No other man had ever cared about her safety and health. It would take some time to adjust. She felt Dimitrius watching her, waiting for her to obey his orders - they were orders, she was sure. She pressed a few more keys and shut down the computer for the day. Slowly she gathered her things and stood to leave.

"Tara," Dimitrius's voice stopped her and she paused in the doorway and turned back to him. "Do you want to come have dinner with me and my wife?"

Had he seen her reluctance to go home to an empty, lonely apartment? It would be nice to have someone to spend the evening with, or at least part of it.

"Would your wife mind?"

"Oh, no. Donna always makes enough in case unexpected company stops by. She learned it from her mom and it has been proven to work well for us. Actually, our two kids are away for the week with their grandparents, so I can assure you that we'd love to have a guest. Our kitchen seems too quiet without our chatterboxes. Anyway, Donna would be quite upset if she heard that there was a new agent on this team and I didn't invite them over for dinner. I'll call ahead and let her know that you're coming." Dimitrius pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, then glanced at her. "You _are_ coming, right? No pressure, but I always found an evening with friends was better than an empty apartment."

An evening with friends. It sounded inviting. Tara hesitated, then nodded. She had to trust at some point, and she might as well start now. She would end up spending a lot of time at work with Dimitrius, so she might as well get to know who he was and meet his wife.

"Okay. I'll write out our address. You can come right away or go home and change and come. We'll wait." Dimitrius handed her a note paper with his address scribbled down.

"Thanks," Tara said, then headed for the parking garage. _At least tonight I won't be alone._

It was a good thought.


	4. Chapter 4-Dinner with the Ganses

Tara carefully parked on the curb in front of the bungalow in a nice neighbourhood. Through the windows she could see a light on, probably in the kitchen. She caught a glimpse of the silhouette of a couple kissing. Uncomfortable, she looked away. This was definitely the Ganses house.

Tara glanced in her rear view mirror and ran her fingers through her hair. She had not taken Dimitrius up on his offer to go home to change, afraid that Donna might have dinner waiting. She grabbed a tube of something from her purse and applied it to her lips. It seemed to help freshen her appearance somewhat. After finally deciding that nothing else in her purse would be able to improve her rather ruffled appearance anymore, Tara finally got out of her car and scurried up to the door, hoping to have given Dimitrius and Donna enough time to themselves. She knocked on the door and waited.

"Welcome, Tara, come on in. Donna's just getting something out of the oven and then she'll come say hi." Tara stepped inside and took off her shoes and placed them on the mat inside the door. She slid her purse off of her arm and set it next to her shoes.

"You must be Tara. Welcome," a warm voice said. Tara turned and saw a smiling African American woman standing in what Tara amused to be the kitchen door. "I'm so glad that D invited you over. We're so happy to have you as our guest. Make yourself at home, dear, I just need to watch these biscuits. They're almost done, and then we can eat." Donna motioned for Tara to come in and Tara did.

"You found your way easily?" Dimitrius asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm good at figuring out instructions. I've been studying maps of D.C. ever since I figured out that I'd be working here. I wanted to be able to know where I was going in case an emergency happened and there was no one to tell me where to go when I really needed to get someplace in a hurry or I couldn't find a local to point me in the right direction, which I guess you don't want to be doing when rushing to a crime scene..." Tara stopped chattering then. Dimitrius chuckled, but agreed with her.

"It's best to be prepared."

"Dimitrius, take Tara to the family room and let her sit down. I don't want her left at the doorway all night," Donna ordered sweetly from the kitchen.

"You're right, sweetheart," Dimitrius said over his shoulder to her and then led Tara into the family room. It was immediately evident that their kids were young. Despite the room being clean, it was clearly the usual play habitat of children Tara inferred from the two toy boxes, a toy kitchen, what looked like a miniature nursery, and a toy farm. That was besides the facts that finger paintings and colouring pages were proudly displayed in photo frames and on a bulletin board. Then there were the family photos covering one wall.

"Yes, we have kids, and yes, they are spoiled," Dimitrius said, pointing to the photos. "Tanya is five years old and is a girly girl. She's starting kindergarten this year and already loves dance class and anything artistic. She's our firework. Davy is three years old and he is a great little guy, always digging in a sandbox or splashing water in the sink. He loves dirt. He's a great little guy who's pretty easygoing." Tara smiled as Dimitrius pointed out pictures of his kids doing their favourite activities.

"You and Donna must be great parents," Tara mentioned softly, noticing the many family photos of Dimitrius and Donna joining in the activities with their kids. She could not help feeling a pang of envy, wishing that she had been born into a family like that, a childhood without scars.

"We love it," Dimitrius said simply.

"Dinner's served. Let's eat while it's hot," Donna said, coming to the door way to the family room. "Has Dimitrius told you about the kids?"

"Yes," Tara said. "They sound like great children."

"They sure are," Donna and Dimitrius responded together.

When they were all seated at the table, Dimitrius said a short prayer. "Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for another day where we were all able to go home at the end. Protect and bless us. In Jesus' name, amen." Tara quietly echoed the "amen". She realized that this must be a daily prayer for the fellow agent. Being thankful for simply being able to go home was normal.

Donna busily dished out portions of fried chicken, potatoes, and green beans and circulated the biscuits and apple sauce. It was delicious, nearly as good as Aunt Stacey's cooking.

"So, where are you from, Tara?" Donna asked. Led by their questions, Tara told them the short, "safe" version of her life - she had been born in Maine, grown up in Rhode Island, attended college and gotten a computer science major in Delaware, and finally graduated from the FBI training program at Quantico in Virginia. She told them how she had grown up loving law enforcement and dreaming of becoming a spy, but never thinking that she could actually become anything important.

"When did you decide to look into the FBI?" Dimitrius asked.

"At the end of grade 11. I was sixteen, set to graduate early, but I had no clue what I wanted to do. I knew I was good with computers, and my science teacher encouraged me to get a degree. Mr. Jacobs said not to just get a degree in computer sciences and use it to make a living, but to use my 'big heart' as well and serve my country and people somehow. I talked it over with my aunt and uncle and they thought that it would be a good plan - they knew that I was still wishing that I could be a spy. We researched it, and I settled on the FBI. All through college I kept it my goal. I was accepted a year after I got my computer science degree. Donna, this food is delicious! Thank you so much for having me over!"

Donna smiled. "I forgot that the kids were away and made a lot, so it's good to have you to help us eat it all. I have some peach pie for dessert, so save some room."

"Mmm, my favourite," Dimitrius commented. "Tara's right, honey, this is delicious. Bobby got us all to go to his favourite pizza place for lunch, but even their best donairs can't approach the level of goodness that this is." Donna beamed at her husband, obviously happy with her hard work.

"What about you? How did you get to where you are?" Tara asked, taking another biscuit at Dimitrius's prompting.

The Ganses told about their lives, both before and after meeting. To Tara, it sounded a bit like a fairy tale. For her, most dates started with hope and ended with disgust. She never seemed to be able to find a nice guy. They all turned out to be losers or worse. She almost went into dates expecting that now. But seeing a couple, obviously still in love despite the years passing by, Tara had hope once again.

They visited together for awhile after supper. Tara offered to help with the dishes, but Donna insisted that they would wait. The three sat in the family room for a bit, talking about the different "must sees" in D.C. that Tara had to see. Some of the suggestions were of places that Tara had not heard about and she added them to her mental list of places to see. She also learned that Dimitrius went by the nickname "D". That would simpler to right on memo pads, she thought, determined to remember. She really wanted to be able to fit in with the team.

When she noticed that it was approaching 6:30, Tara took her leave. She wanted to work on her own computer programs for the rest of the evening before going to bed. The Ganses wished her a good night and invited to come again soon. D told her that he would see her in the morning.

Tara arrived back at her apparent. Her spirits had been buoyed by the visit, and the little place did not seem as lonely as she thought it would be. Exhaustion caught up with her. The excitement that had fuelled her last few weeks was ebbing, and she felt into a chair. She finally decided to forego programming that night and took a shower instead before falling into bed. She would need her rest for the morning.


	5. Chapter 5-Hazing

**Hi, everyone! Thanks for all of the reviews. They brighten my day! I hope that you enjoy this chapter-it was fun to write. If you enjoy, please write a comment to let me know that you read it. Thanks!**

Tara arrived at work, ready for the day. She was excited to get back at the files D had stopped her from finishing the day before. She gave a friendly wave to the other agents already in the bull pen, then turned on her computer - or attempted to. The machine would not start. Tara, puzzled, tried typing in her password, pressing the start button in an attempt to restart the computer, and everything else that she could think of to no avail. The screen remained frozen in its black stare. Only her reflection was on the screen. It was frustrating. She leaned back in her chair, thinking through all of the scenarios. Virus? She had run a check yesterday. She had made it a habit to run security scans on her computers once a day. Broken backlight? No. The computer was not even turning on, so it was not just a problem with the screen. Power surge that fried her computer? The other agents were using theirs, so it seemed unlikely.

 _Other agents_. Muffled snorts of laughter were coming from across the room. Tara did not need to look up to figure out which agents would be hiding smirks. In the short time that she had known them, she could already guess that this was the work of Jack and Bobby.

 _If they did something, it can't be too difficult. I bet neither of them have ever reprogrammed a computer, so the problem has got to be fairly simple._

Just then Tara thought of the trick that her older cousin, Jeremy, had played on her multiple times as a kid. It was pretty much a tradition for every time that Tara visited them that Jeremy would unplug her computer. Sure enough, a glance at the cord showed that her computer's problem was not having electricity. She plugged it in and looked over triumphantly at Bobby and Jack. Bobby walked over from where he had been making a cup of coffee and brought the mug over.

"Sorry, sheila, but we had to have some fun," he said with a charming smile. "Forgive us and have some coffee."

Tara nodded and took the mug gratefully. She logged into her computer before taking a sip and nearly choking. She managed to only splutter a bit, refraining from spitting the beverage across the room. The coffee was salted. _Very_ salted.

"What's the matter with you?" Myles snapped, brusquely pushing past her desk.

"Coffee's a bit hot," Tara said. It was true, just not the whole truth. She smiled sweetly despite the awful flavour in her mouth. Coffee and salt were never created to be mixed. Yet she was immediately determined to drink all of it. She was tough and had learned to not let others define her moves. She would simply pretend that the coffee was delicious and drink every drop. Ignoring a prank was the best way to win against pranksters - that was a lesson that she had learned long ago. But this time she would need some help. When no one was looking she pulled a pixie stick from her purse and poured the pink, sugary contents into the mug. The pink concoction swirled on the surface, then sunk to the bottom of her mug. She tasted the coffee again. It was slightly more drinkable, but it tasted much stranger.

As she took another desperate gulp of the weird drink, she noticed that her desk lamp had turned on. Strange. She shut it off, then started typing. After five minutes, the light flashed back on. _This is weird. Is it wired incorrectly?_ She shut it off again, this time watching it warily. She checked that the light bulb was screwed in correctly. It was, so it could not be the problem.

When another five minutes passed and the light switched on once again, Tara was suspicious. For some reason, this seemed staged. She looked over the lamp. A small device was wired to it with a timer that had apparently just reset. It was a fascinating little computer, but Tara did not feel confident in unwiring it from the lamp. She had usually left the electrical work for others, preferring to program herself.

"D, who is good at unwiring in here?" she asked the older agent.

"What do you need done?" he asked, walking over. She pointed, and he picked up the small contraption. Just then the clock reached five minutes. The light bulb flashed on and the timer reset. D raised an eyebrow. "Bobby," he called over his shoulder. "Come undo this little thingamajig for Tara, will you? It looks like you might know what it is."

Bobby sauntered over with a grin. He pulled out some cutters and soon had the little device safely separated from the lamp and in his pocket.

"Did you wire that in?" Tara asked curiously. The job had been done well and she could admire that, even if the result was annoying.

"No. I had a friend do it. I just cut the wires. That's enough risk for me," he said, glancing at her cup of coffee. "Not thirsty, Miss Williams?"

"Oh, thanks for reminding me. I want to drink that before it gets cold," Tara replied, taking another gulp of the drink and somehow managing not to make a face. She then rapidly finished off the cup while Bobby watched her, amazement obvious on his face.

"Thanks for the sugar," Tara added. "Next time add a bit more."

 _It doesn't hurt for him to wonder if he mixed up on his end of the trick._ _Mind games always aid the one smart enough to use them_.

When the agents asked Tara to join them for lunch she declined. Her stomach was churning. As the last of her co-workers got onto the elevator she dashed toward the ladies room. Soon her stomach was empty.

"Are you okay?" another woman asked when Tara finally came out of the stall.

"Yes. Just promise me that you'll never drink salted strawberry coffee," Tara moaned as she washed her hands and face. The woman gave her a strange glance.

"I think that I can promise that. Hey, do you need to see someone? There is a nurse here," she offered. Tara also heard the woman add, under her breath, "And we also have a psychologist."

"I'm fine, thanks," Tara said. "I just think that I'll find something light to eat for lunch in the cafeteria."

When Tara got back from having a bowl of soup in the cafeteria the others were already back. _Oh, no. What did they do while I was gone?_

Jack walked over. Tara eyed him suspiciously.

"Hey, Tara, here's a code that came in over lunch. Can you break it?" Jack asked with a hint of urgency in his voice. "We really need this. It could be important." Tara scrutinized his face. Not a hint of joking was visible. She finally reached out and took the file. When it did not immediately explode or incinerate she opened it and took out a sheet of paper and looked over the code.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do." And Tara did do all that she could. She studied the code and finally found the pattern. She took a pencil and translated the message. She wrote out all of the letters, then realized that Jack's face had been deceiving. The message staring up at her read "WASTE OF TIME".

"Do you want this?" she asked politely, taking the note over to Jack. "I think that you could accuse the guy who wrote it of wasting _his_ time." She ignored the chuckles. These guys apparently really enjoyed hazing her.

"Hey, ya'll. How's your day going?" a cheery voice asked. Susan was rushing in with two phones and a pile of folders.

"Susan, any chance that you'll be here full-time in the near future?" Myles asked abruptly.

"And hello to you as well, Mr. Sunshine," Susan replied, swatting at Myles' arm as he passed her. "Actually, yes, Eldridge has at least one secretary coming in tomorrow to take over Rob's team and he hopes to have one for Anthony's team by the end of next week." Susan turned to Tara. "Honey, how are they treating you? Have the boys been being nice or naughty?" Most of the agents who were in the room snickered.

"What do you think?" D asked Susan, taking a file from her and giving her one in exchange. A phone rang from Susan's pile

"Well, you tell them to be nice to you or I'll deal with them myself," Susan told Tara, shaking her finger at the agents at their respective desks and using what Tara guessed was Susan's threatening voice. The dear lady probably could not threaten a mosquito effectively. The men just laughed and went on working as Susan answered her phone call, collected files from her desk, and bustled off.

Tara had peace for a good part of the rest of the afternoon. She researched and studied case files, getting caught up with the current caseload of the team. Near the end of the day she picked up a pen and jotted down some notes on what she had learned, staring at her computer screen to copy down some information. After she figured that she had filled a page she looked down. To her great surprise and chagrin, the sheet was empty. She scribbled with the pen. No mark. Now this was a waste of time. Frustrated, she grabbed another pen and began again. No ink. She grabbed another and tried once again. Nothing.

"What is with these pens?" she grumbled. She picked one up and looked at it. It was then that she noticed something written on the side of the pen. The enigma was solved. Bobby's now-familiar chuckle came from next to her desk and she reluctantly looked up.

"Did they take out the invisible ink class at Quantico?" Bobby teased. "Don't you know _anything_?" he chortled, then walked out the door, calling over his shoulder, "Have a good evening." Tara shot her dirtiest look at his departing back. She had been fine up until now, but she had barely accomplished anything that day, thanks to the pranks of her joking co-workers. In particular she suspected Jack and Bobby. She had seen from under her lowered eyelashes the many expectant looks between them as they had tried to covertly watch her through the day. She really wanted revenge on these guys. She had known them for less than forty-eight hours and she already thought that it would be nice to riddle their computer systems with viruses for the rest of their natural lives. But that was perhaps a _bit_ too extreme.

She stood and gathered her things after noticing the clock. It was time to go home and she was ready. She had the remainders of a stomach ache to treat and lots of planning to do.

"Have a good evening, Tara," D said from his desk across the room. She waved and nodded.

"Oh, I will. I plan to prepare something sweet for me to eat tomorrow."

As she walked out to her car she had one thing on her mind. _Yes, I'll going to concoct something sweet. REALLY sweet. And that recipe is titled 'Revenge'."_


	6. Chapter 6-Fire and Ice

**So far, this is the longest chapter for this story-and the funniest! I really enjoyed writing it (I've enjoyed pranking my friends on various occasions), and I hope that you all enjoy reading. Please comment after you finish reading. Let me know what your favourite prank was! God bless, and laugh away!**

Tara had learned over the years how to fight fire with fire when it came to playing pranks. Her three cousins-Jeremy, Jael, and Jadley-had given her a lot of experience. After lots of practice Tara had come up with her own technique for pranking which she called "Fire and Ice". She would not just fight fire with fire, but she would use her own special skills to stop the fire all together. But fighting fire with fire was fun. She would do a bit of that before using ice.

That night Tara was very busy. She quickly made a sandwich and small fruit salad, then wrote out her plans while she ate. She was going to give the guys a run for their money. She grinned as she finished a list of ideas. Thankfully the "Triple Js" had given her lots of ideas from their jokes over the years.

"First, I'll need these," Tara said, gathering some of her fuzzy pens from a pen holder on her kitchen cupboard. It would be difficult for someone to steal and hide them without her being able to notice them. The bright colours and wacky designs were a good preventative for that.

"I guess that I need to go shopping," Tara muttered to herself, looking at her list. She made a quick trip to a nearby grocery store. Her shopping bag had an unusual assortment-a box of salt; unflavored gelatin; a container of coffee the same brand used at work; coffee filters; and a case of water bottles, the same type as she had seen used by the other agents at work. She hurried home with her goods and spent the next hour boiling and mixing, preparing and plotting. Leaving her work to finish in the kitchen, Tara went to her living room and spent the next two hours working on a computer program.

"Perfect!" she said after running a test on the program. "I think that my 'ice' will freeze quite nicely." She checked a few things in the kitchen and was satisfied that her "fire" would work well too.

"I'd better go to bed now," Tara told herself. "I'll need to be at the office early tomorrow, and I mean early!"  
...

Tara went into work at 6:00 the next morning. She had a large bag with her various props for her pranks. The security guard seemed a bit confused by the items in her bag but let it her in anyways. She peaked into the bull pen before going in. Nobody else was there. She covertly went over to the coffee maker and quickly set it up. She replaced the top few coffee filters of the current package with several that she had prepared, then emptied the coffee from the container into a bag and replaced the mixture with one of her own concocting. She went around the rooom setting water bottles on the desks, replacing old or empty water bottles with her own bottles. She slipped several into the little refridgerator in the bull pen. "Fire" was easy. Then she sat down at her desk. In a few minutes that she had her plan readied. "Ice" was ready whenever she wanted to use it. For her own personal use she took at the unmistakably unique fuzzy pens and put them into a drawer in her desk. Now she was ready for the day ahead. Tara quickly hid her bag under her desk, then headed down to the cafeteria to buy a coffee and read a book until it was time to head into work.

After reading two chapters of her book Tara glanced at her watch and headed back to the office. The others were all there. Tara did not miss Bobby's smirk when he saw that she had bought her coffee that morning.

 _Oh, yes, laugh while you may._ The coffee was brewing. No one else knew that the drink would be sabotaged by the best in the trade.

It did not take long before someone started choking on their coffee.

 _Oh, poor Susan. I didn't mean to trick her, but I guess that that kind of thing happens._

"Bobby," Susan said warningly. "What have you been doing to the coffee maker?"

"Nothing."

"Um hmm. Why is my coffee salty then?" Susan asked with a frown.

"I didn't do anything to it," Bobby said, looking innocent quite easily.

 _Time for me to speak up. That way no one will suspect me._

"He did that to my coffee yesterday too. It didn't taste the best," Tara said. "That's why I bought mine today." She raised her coffee cup. Susan frowned at Bobby.

"You shouldn't have wasted an entire pot of coffee," Susan scolded, ignoring Bobby's declarations of innocence.

"I'll make some," Myles said, taking the pot from Susan when she returned from emptying it. He replaced the coffee filter and put new coffee grounds into the machine.

 _Go ahead, Myles. This time it doesn't matter how many numbers are after your name. You can't beat me!_

Tara sipped away at her coffee, enjoying the beginning of her revenge immensely.

"Ugh! This is horrible! Myles, what did you do to it?" D asked after gulping down a mouthful of what Tara knew was horrible coffee.

"What do you mean? I did nothing to it. I just made a fresh pot because Manning ruined the last pot," Myles retorted.

"I did NOT ruin any coffee! I made it just like normal!" Bobby protested loudly from across the room.

"Then you ruined the machine making it normally," Susan added, rushing around with files and her purse. "I'll be getting coffee from the cafeteria like Tara. I think that would be the wise decision until you can stop being so childish."

Tara choked back her laughter. She could enjoy this when she was telling her cousins at the next family reunion. She really did not want the agents to turn on her before her first week was over. She could not let them believe for a second that she had ruined their coffee-at least not yet.

A final attempt was made at making coffee, using the third and last ruined filter. Once again the agents were disappointed and by now tempers were high and patience was low.

 _These guys really do need caffeine. I'd better undo this now before something bad happens._

"Want me to try? We had a machine like this in our dorm room back when I was getting my computer degree," Tara offered, trying to sound as genuinely sweet as possible.

"A computer degree shouldn't be needed to make a cup of coffee, but if Manning ruined it maybe it will," Myles snapped.

"I think that Myles means, 'Please fix it if you can'," Shep said in a stage whisper to Tara. Tara smiled at him and went about making the coffee. When no one was looking she used the original coffee, untainted by salt, into a new filter, not previously soaked in a brine and then dried to look like normal. She then programmed the machine correctly and soon a fresh pot of coffee was ready. She helped herself to a mug and tasted some of the drink while the others watched her speculatively.

"Delicious. It really wasn't difficult, you know. These machines are very basic," she said. _No point giving up a chance to make them respect me._

The agents soon settled down with their cups of coffee as they began their morning work. Attitudes improved, tempers calmed, and aside from the few dirty looks still shot at Bobby, everything calmed down. Well, for a moment.

"What is with my water bottle?" Tara overheard Jack saying to himself. She glanced up and noticed him trying to drink out of the water bottle that she had planted on his desk. The water would not come out. She had made sure of that by mixing it with clear gelatin.

"You having a problem too?' Myles asked, holding up his identical bottle. Both turned and glared at Bobby.

"It wasn't me, mates," the Australian defended himself. "I have no clue what's wrong with your bottles."

"You're getting awfully good at lying, Bobby," Myles said. "Remind us to ask you about these incidents the next time you are on the polygraph machine."

Jack walked over with his bottle and a file. Tara froze. _Has Jack figured out what I've been doing? Is he mad at me?_

"Can you check these files, Tara?" he asked and handed her a file. Then he strolled back to his desk, dropping the water bottle into the trash.

"Maybe it's just frozen," Myles speculated from his spot in the room.

 _Um, no, it isn't. Sorry to disappoint you!_

Opening the file, Tara was amused. The sheets inside were clearly from a child's workbook, probably from the kindergarten or first grade level.

Tara walked over to Jack's desk. He looked up at her, good humour sparkling in his dark eyes. "Why, Jack, I don't know if I can handle this. Tracing the alphabet gets to be very difficult when you've become high-risk for carpal tunnel. You'll have to do it yourself," she announced for the benefit of the whole team, handing him the file back. "A hint-use your dominant hand to do the tracing and the letters will be neater."

"Can we get some work done around here?" Myles snapped. _The caffeine came in too late to rescue his morning. I'll remember that for the future._

Back at her computer, Tara activated her "ice" plan. She may be frightened of men as a whole, but that did not mean that she was going to let them dominate her or make her a laughing stock. She had put up with their jokes, but now she was ready to get to work, like Myles. She would do that right after activating her plan.

"What is wrong with my computer?" Jack asked several seconds later. "The screen is flashing 'Frozen Fire' at me."

"Mine too," Bobby added.

"Mine too," others joined in.

"Is it a virus? Should we call in a tech guy?" Shep asked.

"Why? We've got Tara," D said, looking up from his keyboard. "Tara, did this happen to you?"

Tara had been listening gleefully to the complaints against her prank, but pretended just now to have noticed that something was wrong.

"What?" she asked, trying to appear as if she were dazed by her latest activity on her computer, which was still functioning perfectly.

"Our screens are all flashing 'Frozen Fire' at us. Is it a virus or something?"

"Oh, I know that program. No virus, just a small glitch. I've seen something like it before," she said truthfully. _I just won't tell you that I designed it last night as a special gift for all of you._

"Can you fix it?" Shep asked.

"Oh, sure. Nothing to it, you know," Tara said nonchalantly. She walked over to his computer. "All I need to do is punch in a special code to deactivate it." She put in the code-her own special password-and the screen returned to normal.

"Can you fix mine too?" D asked as Shep stared at his computer in wonder.

"Yep," Tara said. She worked for a few seconds on his computer, undoing her prank.

"What is the code?" Myles demanded.

"Oh, it's really simple," Tara said sweetly. "I'm amazed that you don't know it already."

"Just tell me," Myles demanded impatiently. _Low fuse. I can't wait to see his face for this next part._

"It's 'Dummy 101'," she stated, taking over Joe's computer to restore it. Out of the corner of her eye she watched Jack, Bobby, and Myles try the code.

 _But for you it won't work. You can't get rid of needing me that easily._

"It won't work!" Myles yelled.

"Calm down, Myles," she replied, taking over his keyboard. "You just don't have the expertise needed for this code. I'll take care of it."

 _Poor guy. I'm not being very nice to him, but his ego won't die off because I bruised it a bit. Okay, type in that code, Tara girl. D-u-M-m-Y-o-N-e-O-h-O-n-E. Yeah, hackers and password-protection sites could both take lessons from me!_

Tara then turned to the downtrodden Bobby and irritated Jack. Neither of them seemed so cocky any more Despite her desire to make them suffer a bit longer she decided that she should stop the humiliation now. After all, if they ever did figure out that she had masterminded this whole "Frozen Fire" scheme...it would do no harm to help them out at this point. It was clear that they needed her.

"Can I help you guys with the code?" she asked sweetly. The abashed agents nodded in sync. Tara bit her lip to keep from laughing as she briskly typed in the code for the two men.

"Tara, how did you know that code?" Tara froze at her desk as Myles' question came from across the bull pen.

 _He's on to me._

 _But maybe..._

"I'm supposed to know all of the passwords and codes," Tara replied coolly, forcing herself to look Myles steadily in the eye. She made eye contact with Bobby and Jack as she added, "It's my job to know all the right combinations. You can count on me."

"Did you...?" Bobby began, then stopped, turning away from her. Apparently he did not like being pranked as much as he enjoyed pranking. Or maybe he just assumed that silence would insure his access to his computer files.

Tara felt eyes upon her. There was a little bit of suspicion, she knew that, but also a great deal more respect. None of them knew if she was responsible for the trick or not, but her computer skills were undoubtedly proven to all of them. She was still the rookie, but a valuable rookie that required respect.

"Tara, come on. We've got to meet an informant," D said, walking toward her and nodding to the door. Tara followed him out to his car which they were taking to meet the informant. As D unlocked the car he made eye contact with her over the windshield of the car.

"Good job. Not many can get Bobby and Jack." It was a simple statement, but told a lot. He had figured out her whole charade.

 _So he knows. But he isn't mad_ , Tara thought as she studied D's face for any hint of anger. _I guess that I'm not in trouble._

"Just next time avoid my computer, okay?"

"Okay," she said, sliding into her seat.

"And let me know to buy coffee."

"Okay...wait! How did you know that was me?" Tara asked. She had thought that anyone would figure that part of the prank out.

"I come to work early sometimes. It was fun watching you this morning from the hallway. Was it gelatin in the water bottles?"

"I'm not telling," Tara said stubbornly. She suddenly turned to D. "Please don't tell the others."

 _If he does, they'll hate me ad I might as well transfer immediately._

"Oh, trust me, I won't. I wouldn't want salty coffee and broken computers for the rest of my life."


	7. Chapter 7-First Case

**Thank you for all of the kind reviews. I can see from the stats that lots of people are enjoying the story. That is a great encouragement to me. I just finished writing chapter ten (I believe that there will be seventeen chapters), so there's a lot more to look forward to. As a warning, this is where crime is introduced. From this point on the story gets a bit...darker (I'm not sure if that is the correct word for this, but it is what I can think of).**

 **I also wanted to make sure that I state now that the characters of Sue Thomas: FB Eye belong to Pax and the people who created this wonderful show. I enjoy using the characters (plus I've added). I in no way intend to infringe upon their rights. Now that I've made that statement, on with the story! Enjoy!**

It was two days later that the team was assigned their first case since Tara joined their ranks. Eldridge came in as Tara was working at her computer. He gave a file to D, then called for the attention of the agents . Everyone turned to him.

"We have a high-priority case that we've just been handed," he said. He stopped and cleared his throat. Tara sat up straight. If she was correct, this case deeply disturbed this man. After years of fighting some of the most awful criminals in the world this could not be good. He took a deep breath and plunged into the case details while Tara and the others listened in shock.

"Marine Costel, who turned seven last Monday, was kidnapped twenty-six hours ago from her backyard. There is a window of twenty minutes when no one was watching her. It is suspected that during that time the kidnapper came into the back yard and took her by force. The main suspect is her father, Jase Benson, a convicted murderer, rapist, gang member, and abuser among other charges. He is currently serving several life sentences at a high-security prison in California, his home state. Or he was. Two weeks ago he escaped while being transferred in a prison van. He is believed to be armed and dangerous. When he was arrested prior to his conviction, Jase had been in the act of beating up his wife, Lydia Costel, and daughter, Marine Costel, and shouting death threats at them. It was only by a disabling shot that the FBI was able to save his wife's life."

A million horrible possibilities flooded Tara's mind.

"So we think that Jase Benson searched out his family for revenge?" Myles asked from across the room.

"Yes. He swore that he would get revenge. Lydia divorced him while he was in jail. She has told police that he threatened to kill her if he ever got out. Psychiatrists in the jail say that he was very angry at his wife and daughter, who he apparently blamed for abandoning him."

"How long has Benson been in jail?" Bobby asked.

"Four years. Marine was three when her dad was arrested and by reports of the family remembers little about him except that she is very scared of him," Eldridge said.

Tara felt sick.

"Where have Lydia and Marine been staying?" This was from Jack.

"With Lydia's sister, Jennifer Moses, and Jennifer's husband, Derek Moses. Lydia changed her name back to Costel, which was her maiden name, but has gone by Lydia Moses in the community for greater secrecy. Lydia and Marine went to live with Jennifer and Derek in Maine right after Jase's arrest, but they recently moved to D.C. because of a promotion that Derek received. Derek and Jennifer support Lydia and Marine. Lydia has been unable to work for the last four years due to injuries from Jase, despite six surgeries. Marine had to have three to help her recover and lead a normal life. We are involved because Lydia was a former FBI informant. Jase was part of the gang called the 'Black Bullets' and Lydia helped our team take down the gang. That was why Jase almost killed her-he found out right before the agents arrived on the scene."

This guy was crazy and he had a defenseless little girl under his power.

D looked up from the file Eldridge had handed to him and took over. "Behavioral analysts believe that Jase Benson is out for revenge. He would know that Marine is the person dearest to Lydia. They also believe that Jase would eventually kill Marine. Her life is on the line and we need to find her as soon as possible."

Silence reigned. Tara felt as if her heart had been strangled. _How can something so horrible happen to such an innocent child? I know that she must be terrified, just like I was. I hate men like that. They love to hurt and terrify. It isn't fair. But at least this time I'm going to bring this guy to justice_.

"I'm giving D the role as lead agent. Get to work and bring this girl home," Eldridge commanded before turning and leaving the room. No one seemed ready to talk. Tara looked around slowly and saw pain and fear in each agent's face. We're all terrified for Marine.

Tara cleared her throat, getting the attention of the others. No longer was she a total outsider-they had all been baptized in this common pain. A barrage of memories threatened to overwhelm her.

"Where do we start?" she asked, willing her voice to remain calm.

Everyone sprung into action. D began giving out assignments.

"Shep, find out all you can about Jase-old friends, old hangouts, old girlfriends, all that information. Joe, research the Black Bullets. Gang members usually stick together. If they are involved we need to know. Bobby, try to find out how he could have figured out where Lydia and Marine were staying. Has he been spying on them or has he had someone doing that for him? How did he know where they were? Jack, find out some possible routes that Jase may have taken from the escape to the Moses house. Work with Shep to see if there are any connecting points that may fit together. Myles, alert the media with descriptions of Jase and Marine. Make sure that an Amber alert has been issued. Also do a quick check to see if you can find any other possibilities as to where Marine went or who took her. This was likely done by Jase, but we should check if there are any other suspects. We don't want to chase down only Jase if there are other suspects. Call in Susan and get her checking records and everything else-she'll know which ones and what to do. She always does. Tara, you and I are going to the house to talk to Lydia, Jennifer, and Derek. Oh, Shep, send down some guys to check over the crime scene. We just got this case, but metro police have been working on it since the beginning. We need their reports as well as a once-over by our guys. Tara and I will check for any hiding spots in the neighbourhood that Jase may have used to spy on the Costels and Moseses. Let's go, people. Report any and all developments. I want that girl back to her mom as soon as possible. Come on, Tara. We're taking my car." D was out the door in a flash and Tara ran after him. They had to find this girl. They just had to.

 _I can't let it happen again._


	8. Chapter 8-Research

**Thanks to all who have commented (to many guests and multiple members). I love getting the notifications that someone just posted a review on a story that I've written! I have some exams coming up, so I may not get to work so much on my stories for the next week and a half, but I will try! I have a couple more chapters pre-written, so this story should be updated regularly. Enjoy this chapter and if you have a moment, comment on what you think will happen next. What do you think is going on with Tara? Will they find Marine? The answers will come soon. Now I'll stop writing so that you can start reading!**

They heard Lydia's sobbing before Jennifer Moses even let them into the house.

Tara felt her heart break as she sat on the sofa and watched the bereft mother clutch Marine's stuffed dog and mourn for her lost daughter. Jennifer and Derek attempted to comfort her as D and Tara got out their notepads, but to no avail. Dimitrius took charge of the interview. He asked questions as Tara quickly wrote down the answers provided. Jennifer was the one who had been watching Marine at the time of her abduction and the guilt on her face was immense.

"She was out in the pool in our backyard. I was working in the kitchen and supervising her. Lydia was doing laundry in our basement and Derek was still at work. It was around 5:00 and I received a phone call from a client. Marine is a strong swimmer and a mature child, so I was sure that she would be okay. I was on the phone until 5:13 and I looked out the window about twice during that time."

"What times did you look out your window? Would you know?" D asked.

"Maybe 5:05 and 5:10? I was stirring some soup about every five minutes. The first time Marine was still in the pool. She waved to me. The second time..." Jennifer's voice broke and she began to cry. Derek put his arm around her. In a hoarse whisper Jennifer concluded, "She was gone. She wasn't in the pool. I didn't think much of it. I thought that maybe she was on her swing which is on the side of the house, out of sight from that window. She would often do that-going back and forth between swimming and swinging." More tears streamed down her face as she continued with the story. "I went outside after the phone call and yelled for Marine to come in because supper was almost ready and she would need to dry off and get changed before we ate. Around 5:20 the meal was done-I know the time because the soup began to boil over and I saw the time on the clock. I called everyone to come eat. Lydia asked where Marine was. Derek went to check her room to see if she was up there getting ready for supper, but she wasn't. Lydia went to call her from the yard because we thought she just wasn't listening to me."

"She was gone," Lydia said lifelessly. "Gone."

"Would Marine have left the yard for any reason?" D asked.

"No. She was...she is good kid. She knew that she wasn't supposed to leave the yard without asking permission. She always remembered to ask if she could go over a neighbour's or friend's house. Besides, she knew supper was going be soon and for Marine to be late to any meal is unusual," Derek replied. He seemed to choke on the words.

"Have you seen anyone nearby lately who was acting suspicious? Someone with unusual behavior or who seemed to be watching the house?"

Derek shrugged. "No. It's a small neighbourhood so someone would likely have noticed something. There's no trees or any fences, really, besides the one that we have to keep people out of our pool, so there's no hiding spots that I can think of. When we first thought that Marine had gone missing I ran around the entire neighbourhood. We called the police first thing and Lydia and Jennifer searched every corner of our property. I checked with all of our neighbours. When the police arrived they did the same. We know all of our neighbours and they all knew us. They all loved Marine and did their best to help us. But no one had seen anything or heard anything."

"It was like she vanished into thin air," Jennifer said, wiping her eyes and giving Lydia a hug.

"You'll bring my little girl back, won't you?" Lydia asked. Her huge eyes were stricken as she looked between D and Tara. Tara glanced at D. She felt helpless. He turned to Lydia.

"Lydia, we will do everything in our power to find your daughter. Our team is busy at this very moment gathering all of the information that we can to help us in our search. We're doing our best."

"But...you don't know if...?" Lydia's question hung heavily in the room.

 _No one knows. We can only dread the worst and hope for the best. And work hard._

After finishing the painful interview, getting descriptions of Marine and her swimsuit that she was wearing, getting all of Lydia's information that she had on Jase, and searching the backyard with the other agents, Tara and D walked around the neighbourhood.

"Derek's right. Someone spying on them would have had an awfully hard time. There is no cover around here. We'd better run checks on all of the neighbours," D muttered. "Maybe someone who knows Jase lives around here."

"Can we check at that corner store?" Tara pointed to a nearby place. "I want to check their surveillance tapes. It's possible that Jase went in there for something. If so, we may get a current description, outfit, time table, and other information."

"Let's do it."

The corner store clerk did not recognize the photos of Jase, but he willingly handed over the tapes once he saw their badges.

"Marine was a cute kid. She used to come here for popsicles. She always loved the banana flavoured ones. Bring her back soon, please," the young clerk, named Ben, begged them as he handed them their records.

 _This kidnapping has hurt this entire neighbourhood_ , Tara realized.

"We're trying," she whispered before turning and leaving.

"Let's get back to the office. Jack called. They've got some info," D stated, getting into the car. Tara nodded and buckled up. Time was short and the risk was high.

 _We have to find this girl._


	9. Chapter 9-Nightmares

**Thanks to all the readers and reviewers! I love hearing from you! Warning: some people may find this chapter disturbing as Tara remembers her past.**

It was 11:00 that night before Tara finally arrived home. She stayed long after the other agents, working diligently on files and any possible leads. She was thankful that no one had stayed around to make sure that she went home. Working alone was usually better for her. No interruptions meant better concentration and more effective work. She had found lots of possibilities, but nothing seemed obvious. Her head ached from concentrating on a screen all day. She walked into her room and fell into bed. It moments she was asleep.

 _She was tiny and confused. Nothing made any sense to her. She felt vulnerable. She heard yelling. There they were-shadows that she knew that were her parents. The pain suddenly began-they were kicking and hitting her. The smell of alcohol overwhelmed her. The pain increased. She could not stay silent any more. She screamed_.

Tara woke suddenly at the sound of her own scream. _I'm not five years old. I'm okay. My parents aren't here. No one is drinking. It's okay. It's okay._

"It's okay," she whispered out loud. She still was not convinced. But it had been awhile since her last nightmare. Maybe it would be okay. She glanced down. She was still in her work clothes so she got up and changed, while nearly falling over from sleepiness. Once again, it did not take long for her to fall asleep.

 _Indiscernible shouts mixed with someone's breath reeking of beer. She saw his face-it was her dad. He was drunk and violent. The beating started. She could feel her skin begin to bruise. Her father slapped and punched, pushed and pinched, shoved and shook her. She had been here before. She begged him to stop hurting her. Tears poured down her face. She could not move-the pain and fear were a debilitating combination. He grabbed her and threw her onto a bed. She felt him kneel next to her. His face was shoved against hers. She could not escape. He hit her again, laughing at her screams of terror. She was trapped, not just in this situation but in time. Her uncle had rescued her at this point. She knew that vaguely. But he did not come to help her this time. She felt her father grab at her. She shrieked._

"Help!" Tara shook with terror. Her heart was pounding and sweat beaded her forehead. She could not stay in bed. She quickly sat up and left her room. Her legs were weak, but she stumbled out of her room and turned on the light in her living room. She rested her hand against her phone. She considered calling her aunt and uncle. They had been through this countless times with her over the years. She started to punch in the numbers, then looked at the clock on the wall. It was 1:00.

"No way am I waking them up at 1:00 just because my fears have been triggered by this case," Tara muttered through her clenched teeth. "I'm an adult now. I need to get a hold on myself and learn to deal with the past. I'll be fine." She shut off the phone and set it back down on the counter. Instead she got a glass of water and gulped it down. She looked toward her bedroom. She did not think that she could handle another nightmare, but the tiredness dragged her down. She had to get in some sleep to prepare for working the case tomorrow. Reluctantly she went back to bed and pulled the sheet up to her chest. Shadows surrounded her and seemed to be sneering down at her. "Just your imagination..." she whispered to herself, scrunching her eyes closed. A wave of tiredness swept over her. She was fast asleep in a just a few minutes.

 _Multiple faces flashed before her. Every boyfriend that she had ever had was there. All of them had hurt her somehow-emotionally or physically. She had always ended up dating the worst guys for any girl to know. Now they all flashed before her as tears poured down her face. The worst and last-Andrew Hausmann, the boyfriend who raped her in her sophomore year of college-stood before her. He smirked at her before pushing her backwards. She landed on a bed and Andrew pushed himself onto her. He covered her mouth and she could not get free. She began to relieve her most horrific memories. Suddenly the dream changed. Her father was hitting her and she was crying, yet she could hear someone else crying. She turned her head and saw Marine Costel pinned down by Jase Benson who kept punching and hitting her. Marine turned her head toward Tara and they locked eye contact. "Help me! Help me!" Marine screamed to Tara. "I wish I could, but I can't get out myself," Tara screamed back. Marine began to beg her, tears running down her cheeks. "Get us out. Get us out. Get us out..."._

Tara woke up, tears flowing down her cheeks. She got out of bed and turned on the light, then left her room and stumbled out to her living room, turning on every light switch that she passed. The clock read 1:45, but Tara refused to even consider going back to bed. She started her coffee machine and made a full pot of coffee, changing into a new outfit while the pot filled. She poured herself a large mug of coffee and settled down on the sofa with her laptop. She was forever in the nightmare born of her past, but she would do her best to free Marine from her nightmare in the present.

It was time to get to work.


	10. Chapter 10-Progress

**Once again, I welcome all my faithful readers back to the next part of the story. A disclosure: Tara and D interview a prostitute. If that would bother you, please skip this chapter! I will also once again announce that I only own the characters that I've added (faithful fans of the show have probably already sorted out any new people that I've made and who is really in the show). Thanks to Pax and all the wonderful people involved in creating "Sue Thomas: FB Eye" for the wonderful characters that I'm enjoying playing with in my writing. All credit goes to them. Now please enjoy this next chapter. Review and comment when you're done-it is motivation to me to keep going! Special thanks to the people who do so regularly (Goof, thank you! And others too!)!**

At 4:00 Tara arrived at the office. The security guard did not seem too surprised to see her. He must be used to seeing people coming in here at all hours, Tara thought sleepily. She got onto the empty elevator and went up to her floor. It did not stop once.

By the time 7:00 rolled around and the other agents started straggling in, Tara had already gotten in three solid hours of work. The printer was humming and her computer screen was heating up.

"Tara, you're early," Bobby commented.

 _You don't know the half._

"Oh, you started coffee," Jack said. "Thanks. Hopefully you can make it better than Bobby."

D and Tara both hid smiles, Tara for more reasons than D. _That is the second pot. Do you have any clue how I react to large doses of caffeine? Though I am so sleepy that it may neutralize the effects._

"What have you got going here?" Shep asked as Tara handed him a large pile of papers.

"I've done some research," Tara started.

"I see."

Tara continued, "I printed off the names of possibilities where Jase may be hiding out. I have different business associates and old team members, love interests, and family, people like that."

"Team members?" Jack asked.

"Jase used to play on a rugby team with the Bulldozers, a team from his college. I've run all of the old team mates, but there is only one that raised any red flags." Tara flipped through the papers in Shep's hand and pointed to a name and address. "Diego Santiago. He was a very close friend to Jase-they roomed together for two years during college, and later rented together for about eight months when they were both working in San Francisco. That was around the same time that Jase first met Lydia, so eight years ago. Diego also has a criminal record."

"That would be coincidental," Myle's mentioned, lifting his cup to Tara. "This is very good."

"It should be. Caffeine is pretty much a staple to computer majors."

"You mean geeks," someone said softly behind her. Tara swung around with a frown. Both Bobby and Jack avoided eye contact.

"Be careful about what you say around her. She's a genius, not a geek," D warned from across the room.

 _Thank you, D. I may be a smidgen of a geek, but I do prefer the term "genius". Better for the self-esteem._

"Back to Jase..." Shep said.

"Oh, and there was one other person who seemed likely to know something. It is Josephine Bright, known as Jojo. She seems to have been a girlfriend for Jase...even after he was married."

"Not so good," Susan said, coming in.

"Jojo Bright. That name sounds familiar for some reason," Shep muttered. He turned to D. "D, do you know who she is?"

"I think that we know her name because of the Trenton case," D said, his face tight. Shep blew out from between his teeth.

"What?" Tara asked.

"Uh, the Trenton case dealt with prostitutes." Shep avoided eye contact. _He's a gentleman if he still dislikes talking about that after years of working with some of the worst crimes in America._

Tara did not blush. The guys seemed more embarrassed by the situation than her. Yes, it was horrible that prostitution was still prevalent, but she could approach the subject head-on the majority of the time. After the night mares, she might not do so well this time, but she could handle the details of a case. She did remembered that this team had not had a woman on the team with them before, and Shep seemed to be a gentleman. She appreciated their delicacy in handling the situation, although it was not needed. "Prostitute? I used to volunteer at a shelter for women and there were a lot of hookers who we helped. Anyway, we should find Jojo and see what she can tell us. Is she still in the area?"

"Likely," D sighed. "She was told to move on, but I would guess that she is still there." The regret etched into his features.

 _He really cares about these people._

"Myles, Bobby, you go check out Santiago. D, Tara, you tackle Bright. The rest of us will work off of these other leads and see if we can get anything. Let's go," Shep said, rallying the group. Tara filled her coffee mug again and poured in five packets of sugar before rushing to follow D out to the parkade.

D drove along the busy streets. Tara leaned back in the chair and allowed herself to rest her eyes for a moment.

"Tired?"

"No," Tara lied, valiantly struggling against sleep. She took a gulp of her coffee. The sugar did not seem to be kicking in. She felt in her pocket. Yes, it was still there-several sugar packets from a cafe she had visited several days before. She emptied two of the sugar packets into her drink, swirling the cup to dissolve the sugar. She took another sip. It tasted more like a sports drink now from the amount of sugar, but hopefully it would be able to keep her going.

"You'll get diabetes with that much sugar. What is that? Three packages in one cup?" D commented. Tara pretended to ignore him. _That would be normal cup. This is my keep-going drink. I think that is seven now. No, eight. Wow, maybe I should cut back a bit._

"We're here," D announced, pulling up in front of a shabby apartment. Several loiterers watched them leerily as the two agents approached the door. Tara was glad that D was with her. It was very nice to have someone watching your back when you were in areas like this.

Two creaky flights of steps and several crooked hallways later, Tara knocked on Jojo's door-number 24, with the crooked, dusty brass numbers appearing ready to take a vacation to the floor or trash bin if anything touched them. They waited. Finally a small voice on the other side greeted them with a shrill, "What do you want?"

"This is the FBI. Please open the door," D directed.

"Oh." The door slowly, creakily wobbled open and a skinny face peered around it. It was long and pale, covered in huge freckles. Two bright, light brown eyes glittered at them. The eyes-they were what stood out to Tara from the tiny woman-scrutinized them. Finally the woman opened the door fully and stood there defiantly, glaring at them. She was dressed the part of a harlot and did not seem to have a bit of shame, even in front of two officers of the law. Tara had seen a lot of get-ups at the shelter, but this one was definitely the most revealing. _How could any woman willingly expose so much of herself to anyone who knocks on her door?_ Tara recognized her as the Jojo of the files.

"Josephine Bright?" she asked anyway.

"Yes. What do you want now? Oh, Agent Gans." Jojo recognized D and shrank back. She seemed afraid to let him see her.

 _He's probably warned you before, hasn't he? Can't you see that what you're doing is wrong? Not only is prostitution illegal, but it will only end up hurting you. I've been hurt. Why are you letting that happen willingly? You poor woman_. Tara tried to focus.

"Hello, Jojo. What have you been up to?" D asked. Jojo looked down. "Jojo, we're not here to get you in trouble. We were just wondering if you know where Jase Benson is."

"Jase Benson?" Jojo's face crinkled as much as it was possible for a face so long and skinny to crinkle.

"You know him. He's a boyfriend of yours. Or is he something else?" D questioned.

"I don't know any Jase Benson or Jase anything," Jojo replied. Tara noticed that the woman was avoiding all eye contact with D. _Perhaps I could get something from her._

Tara pulled a photo of Jase from her pocket and showed it to Jojo. "This is the man who we're talking about. Don't you recognize him?"

A flash of recognition sparked in Jojo's eyes, but it was not a happy spark. Tara recognized that look. She had seen it in her own mirror several times. This woman was afraid.

"I know him." Her squeaky voice was even squeakier.

"Was he going by Jase then or a different name."

"As I said, I don't know any Jase. If that is his real name, he was using a different name around me. Said his name was Kurt. He never gave me a last name, though once he answered his cell phone and said, 'Yeah, this is Gregory'. I don't know if that was his last name or a different first name or what."

Tara scribbled down the information. This was a break in the case.

"Why are you afraid of him?" _Do I really sound that unfeeling and cold? Do I really sound like all those cops years ago, questioning me about Andrew?_

"I'm not afraid of him." _She's trying to cover it by sounding offended at the question, but I know she's afraid. I know that act too well._

"I know you are. Tell me why." Tara amazed herself at her own persistence. _I really want to help little Marine. Nothing will be left undone that can be done on my end._

"He...terrorized this whole apartment house. He and several other guys did. He wouldn't listen when I said 'no'."

Tara looked up and studied the woman's face before her. The prostitute looked back. She was telling the truth. Tara could sense that the woman was begging for help without even realizing it. She needed out of her life and into one where she would be respected and loved as a woman, not be simply a plaything for men.

 _She may have made decisions that made her a victim, but at the end of the day that is what she is-a victim._

D and Tara alternated asking questions, getting descriptions of Jase the last time Jojo had seen him-a month ago-and the men with him. One sounded very much like Diego Santiago.

"Why are you looking for him?" Jojo asked.

Tara looked to D for the answer. D seemed to be weighing his options. After all, if Jojo was acting and was really in a relationship with Jase...but Tara was certain that Jojo was not. D seemed to be as well, for he answered, "Kidnapping. A little girl is missing and he's the prime suspect."

Jojo's face blanched and tears came to her eyes. "No! Oh, no! He's as cruel as a snake. And a little girl...oh, you've got to hurry. If I see him, I'll let you know, but he isn't around here now. Oh, hurry. That girl doens't have a chance against him. I've seen the worst of men, and that would be him."

"We'll do our best. Thank you, Jojo. You've been a help."

Jojo nodded mutely to them as they turned to leave. Tara remembered something and checked her wallet. Yes, it was there.

"Take this. Call the number and they'll help you," she said softly, handing the business card to Jojo. The woman took it, looked at the name, and nodded slowly.

"I want out," she whispered.

"I know. And they'll help you," Tara replied encouragingly. Jojo half-smiled and disappeared once again beyond door twenty-four.

"What did you give her?" D asked as they squeaked back down the stairs.

"A business card for a woman's shelter. It has a program for helping women like her get off the streets and into real work. It offers therapy, financial assistance, stuff like that. It is the one that I used to volunteer at sometimes. It's a good place. They can help her get out."

"If she wants out."

"She does."

"Good."

Once they got into the vehicle Tara grabbed her coffee cup and took a sip. This isn't sweet. She took out another sugar packet and emptied it in.

"Is that the same coffee as earlier? How can you handle that much?" D asked, pulling into traffic.

Tara shrugged and took another sip. The coffee was cooling quickly. If it was to be drunk, it must be drunk now before it cooled down any more. Besides, she was exhausted and depressed-only sugar helped with a combination like that.

"Seriously, how many cups of coffee have you had today?"

"A few." _What is it now? Over ten since I woke up, I think. I feel a head ache coming on._

"You might want to cut back a bit. You'll never be able to sleep tonight if you keep it up."

 _Not that I would want to, not after last night. But I am tired. I'll have to risk sleep at some point. But not now. I have a job to do, and I've got to do it well. A little girl's life may depend upon it. _

Back at the office, Tara could hear excited voices as she approached the bull pen. It was Bobby exalting, and he met them at door. Tara could see Myles looking very self-satisfied at his desk.

"What is it?" D asked.

"Tara's idea was right. Santiago was gone, but we met with his wife, Maria. She told us that Diego would do anything for a bit of cash and that he was a very violent man."

"Lines up with what we learned," D said, moving past.

"Shep found out that we Diego owned several other properties besides his house and the apartment. Jack and Joe are off trying to get warrants."

"Got them," Jack announced loudly, coming in the door triumphantly.

"Good."

Tara got to work on her computer. Several other teams mobilized with her own. A tech person named Rachel Norton from one of the other teams helped her to coordinate the team. Soon she would be expected to do this on her own. She paid attention to all the checks that Rachel did. Missing any of them could lead to disaster.

The teams moved quickly. After four hours, at 2:40, the fourth warrant was executed at the final property. Tara listened on her headset and watched the screens as the team arrested Diego Santiago. That was not all that they found. There were weapons-and blood. Forensics immediately took samples.

 _Oh, don't let it be Marine's._

Bobby and Myles began interrogating Diego once they brought him in. Tara and D watched from the other side of the mirror. D gave Tara pointers as they watched. Diego denied all knowledge of Jase or the kidnapping. Myles pressed on him and they finally got a reaction.

"I just hope that Jase is having _fun_ , wherever he is," he sneered.

"That's it," Tara muttered. She turned and walked out.

"Tara," D called after her. "You okay?"

"I'm just going to go see if those blood samples have come back." And to escape being near that man. And to get some more coffee.

"Got the report on the blood," Shep told her as she passed him in the doorway to the bull pen.

"And?"

"B negative. Marine is A positive and Jase is O. So far, no evidence ties Jase and Marine to that scene. Santiago is B positive, so it's no one that we know of."

"So we just wasted all that time?" Tara felt as if her stomach was sinking.

"No. We arrested a guy with a lot of illegal weapons and blood is his building that isn't his and that he has yet to explain. That's not a waste of time. We've narrowed down one lead. That's a good start."

"I think that it's a waste," Tara muttered rebelliously under her breath. She sat down at her computer and started searching through lists, statistics, associates, old work places, and all of her other ideas. People walked in and out and the minutes turned into hours. Cup after cup of coffee was drunk, and Tara indulged herself in the research that held the keys to solving the case.

 _The screen seems as if it is swimming_ , she thought, her head jerking up. _I almost fell asleep then._

"Tara? Would you answer the question?" D asked. Tara turned to him, dazed.

"What?"

"When did you last eat or sleep? You look ready to keel over."

"I don't really...oh, I woke up at 4:00. No, that's when I came to work. I kept having...I didn't sleep well, so I came in early. But I woke up at 1:45, and I think that I ate then...no I didn't. I ate sometime...yesterday. Maybe last night. I don't remember." She reached for her coffee, but someone grabbed it from her.

 _Bobby._

"You need some sleep, not coffee," he said, taking a sip. _That's gross. And you're mean. I feel tired and ready to cry. Or strangle you. Or both. Definitely both-if only I were awake enough to do that_. He choked.

"How much sugar do you have in here?" _Ha! At least you won't enjoy it._

"Anymore caffeine and you'll explode. Bobby's doing you a favour," D admonished.

 _True, but no reason to like him_. Before she could think about what she was doing, she stuck her tongue out at him.

 _Oh, that was mature. I'm so embarrassed! My brain really is fried!_

"I'm sorry, Bobby," she began, but he waved it off.

"It's 7:00, and you've got nothing to run on. You should have been eating and gone home long ago with that lack of sleep. Go home, something to eat and sleep. Come in again in the morning. Some of us will keep working. If we need you, we'll call you in," D said.

Tara tried to protest, but Shep interrupted. "Yeah, you need something other than coffee to keep you running." Shep then turned to D. "And Dimitrius, your wife called."

"What did Donna want?" D asked, making a shooing motion at Tara to get moving.

 _I will move if I can find the energy somewhere._

"I won't tell her that you didn't remember," Shep said. "Just return the favour for me someday. Your sister is in town and..."

"Donna and I are supposed to be having supper with her!" D exclaimed. "I've got to call Donna and let her know that I can't make it."

"Why not? Take the advice that you just gave Tara. We'll be fine for a few hours. If we need you, we'll reach you."

"I know that you will," D said.

Tara finally stood and gathered her things. _My brain feels like a brick. My head is so heavy. What was I needing to tell Shep? Oh, I know._

"Shep, you may want to..." What was that thought again? I'm almost asleep. "Check...old jobs. Here's my current list of idea. Maybe Jase has a...security code...to a building, or something."

"Good idea. We'll check them. Get some rest," Shep said, patting her arm. Tara nodded and began to make her slow, sleepy way out of the Hoover building and to her car. She stopped at the cafeteria and bought a cup of coffee.

 _D will kill me if he sees me with it._

 _The risk is worth it. I need to stay awake on the drive home. Now, how many sugars would that be?_


	11. Chapter 11-Night Scare

**Thanks to all of my patient readers who have waited for this chapter. As a warning, Tara is attacked in this chapter. I do NOT want to end up triggering bad experiences for any readers, so you are here forewarned. If anyone has been through such a situation, you have my deepest sympathies and prayers. I do not mean for this chapter to hurt you. As always, this is based of off the characters of the Pax show, "Sue Thomas: F B Eye" which I do not own in any way. Any other characters and story lines that you do not recognize have been created by me. Also, before you read on, thanks to all of my faithful readers and reviewers (lots of Guests, and also the faithful reviewer, Goof). I love looking at the chart that FanFiction provides for me-I have readers from all over the world! Thank you for making my stories a part of your life. I hope that you are able to enjoy this next chapter. Although it is sad, it is a starting point for Tara to move on eventually. The next chapters are planned out. I don't want to spoil anything, but don't worry-there will be a happy ending! Now please enjoy, and if you have any comments, please review after!**

 _No food_ , Tara decided as she looked around her apartment. Nothing would be able to made quickly and she felt too tired to cook.

 _Maybe I should just go to sleep. No, I don't feel ready to risk the nightmares yet. I'll just go out for supper._ She grabbed her keys and headed out to her car, pausing to lock her door.

It did not take long to find a nearby restaurant. Tara was seated and had ordered soon. The low lighting and music were calming. Tara ate and relaxed, so much so that before she finished her meal she had fallen asleep on the table. The waitress tapped her shoulder to wake her.

"Miss, are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes," Tara said, rubbing her eyes. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You must be exhausted. Here is your bill."

"Thank you."

Tara paid her bill and left the restaurant. The night was warm and surprisingly calm for being in the middle of a city. She slowly walked toward where she had parked her car, relishing the peace.

Suddenly the peace was gone.

She heard a few quick steps before she felt the strong arm going around her waist and a hand slap over her mouth, cutting off her panicked cry. The assaulter began to pull her into the nearby alley.

 _I only have a few seconds before I'm pulled out of sight. I have to attract attention now._

Tara began to fight with every fiber of her being. No longer was she sleepy. Her heart was pounding harder than ever before, and she was fully alert. She tried to throw herself to the ground, but the man was too strong. He lifted her off of the ground so she could not lock onto his legs or gain a strong stance. He had locked one of her arms against him, but with her free hand she tried to scratch at him. He did not seem to notice, but she hoped to at least get some of his skin under her finger nails. _If I don't survive, they can at least take evidence from me as to who he is_. But there was something that she _could_ do. She bit at his hand. He did not have any gloves on, so she was able to score the bite. He yanked his hand away for just three or four seconds before clapping it back over faster than ever, but Tara had managed to scream as loud as she could.

"Shut up," the man growled. He squeezed her stomach hard and swore at her.

 _This is a real nightmare. Why didn't I stay home?_

The guy held her against a wall and slammed her against it. The pain was much to great to even scream before he clasped over her mouth again.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Stop it!"

"Where are you? Do you need help? What's going on?"

"Answer me. Stop."

Voices were calling nearby. Tara could hear them running toward the alley's entrance. The man paused from roughing up Tara and froze. Tara took advantage of his pause to yank her head out and scream, "Help!"

The man threw Tara to the ground with all his strength and then ran in the opposite direction. Tara laid still, frozen in sharp fear and pain.

"Hey!" a man, yelled running into the alley. Tara pulled herself into a tight ball behind the pile of trash that the attacker had thrown her next to.

 _How symbolic. That's what I feel like. Trash that men toss around_. She pulled back as the man ran past her after the attacker.

"Stop! Stop!" he yelled. He did not notice her curled up on the ground. He's gone. Both men are gone.

"Is any one here?" a woman's voice asked moving in Tara's direction. _Oh, please don't let any one see me like this. I'm so ashamed._

Another woman's voice joined in. "Is there any one here? Can we help you? If you are here, please let us know."

 _I can't. I don't know if I can trust you. I can't trust anyone...once again, ever and always._

Tara heard the women tentatively searching for her. _They must be scared of who else could be in this alley too. They are scared of who I could be_. Steps ran back toward them. Tara flinched and froze, even ceasing her breathing as much as possible.

"I...couldn't...catch...him. He was...too...fast... and got away...but I think that I got...a description." He paused and breathed hard. "He did not...have anyone...with him. Did...you find...anyone here?"

"No."

He calmed his voice. "Hello? Please come out. We won't hurt you-we want to help you."

 _I can't trust you. I can't._

Tara remained hidden.

He heard steps approach her. In a few seconds she would be...

"Hey!"

He had found her.

Was he friend or foe?

"Call 9-1-1," the man told the two women rushing to him. He turned back to Tara. She still could not make out his face in the dark alley. "Hi. I'm Dimitrius Gans, and I'm going to help you, okay? My wife and sister are here too. We want to help."

"D?" Tara gasped.

"Tara?" He shifted and she could see that his eyes were wide in shock. "Are you okay, kid?"

She could not tell him. She did not know.

No, the attacker had not reached his "goal", whatever his plan had been. But she was terrified and plunged back into her universe of nightmares, except that this would become another birthplace for her nightmares.

"Tara?" Donna came forward and slowly held out her hand to the tramautized woman. "Tara, it's going to be okay now. Alicia is calling emergency."

"I don't want emergency help," Tara whispered, slowly taking hold of Donna's offered hand.

"I know," D sympathized, keeping distance between himself and Tara. It helped her feel just a tiny bit better. At least it was not another attacker.

But now he would know.

He would know that she was a magnet for bad men with bad plans.

He would know that she had been a victim of crime once. Maybe he would figure out more about her past.

She did not want any of that.

 _Why me? Why him? Why did he have to be here?_

"We were just having dinner at the restaurant across the street when we saw two people struggling and heard a scream," Donna murmured. "I'm glad that we were here."

 _I guess that I am too? Am I? I don't know. I'm grateful that you stopped him, but why did my rescuer have to be my co-worker and trainer?_

The police and paramedics finally arrived. Curious onlookers began to gather.

 _Something of interest happening on an otherwise quiet night. Why? Why me? Why now when I am already struggling? Why?!_

The police and D effectively sent the people on their way. The paramedics checked over Tara. She was so dazed that she had to get them to repeat most of their questions several times before she could think of the answer. They cleaned her cuts and scratches-according to them it normally would hurt, but she felt no pain.

 _What are a few scratches compared to the emotional and mental torture?_

The police began to ask questions. Had she noticed anyone watching her? Did she know anyone who might have done this to her? Did she have a description? Was it a big or small guy?

"I...don't know."

It sounded so small and feeble, but it was all that she had for an answer. All she knew what that he had victimized her. He had not managed to rape or kill her, but she was his victim anyway. She had felt powerless for those eternal seconds while he dragged her away into torture. He was stronger and bigger than her, but by how much she did not know. All she could remember was the terror.

D began to describe the man as he had been able to see him. Apparently a very tall, large-built man, someone who would feel confident about overpowering someone small like Tara. He was a figure dressed in black, a fast runner, strong enough to lift Tara.

Tara felt numb as she listened to D describe the man. Who knew what that man could have done to her? She had already experienced some of the worst of men.

 _Just as I move into a new area and begin a new job, here is a new reminder that I'm not safe anywhere_.

"I was so tired, I wasn't watching for anyone," she admitted quietly.

"It isn't your fault," Donna said. The officers echoed the comment. It still did not remove the fear that it was her fault. Suddenly she remember two facts.

"I bit him. I think I drew blood in his right hand. It was over my mouth. I also scratched him to get his DNA under my nails," Tara stated to the officer scribbling on a notepad. He looked up, his eyes brightening.

"That would be our best lead if it is possible to find him," he said. "Addison," he called to his partner. "Let's take a sample from under her nails."

"Smart thinking," D told her.

"Training." _Training that ultimately failed me when I couldn't get away from him. No, the training didn't fail me. I failed the training. I froze. I should have been calmer. I should have watched for it, expected it. If I had been watching, maybe I could have prevented it. It's my fault. My fault_.

The sample was taken, the statement finished, her health announced fine.

"You're a very lucky lady that these folks came to your rescue," the officer told her as he was about to leave.

 _LUCKY?! You think that I am lucky?!_

"You may want to stay with a friend or someone that you trust tonight," the officer suggested. "It is probably not a good time to be alone."

"She'll stay with us," Donna declared. She then hastily turned to Tara. "Are you fine with that, or is there someone else that we can take you to?"

"No." _I'm alone here._

"Then you come with us. We'll take good care of you." Donna put her arm around Tara and slowly led her to their car.

 _I never want to sleep again._


	12. Chapter 12-A Cup of Tea

**Thank you to all who read and commented. Here is the next chapter. Things begin to improve a bit for Tara...**

Tara sat on the couch at the Gans house, hugging herself as she shook. Her eyes were dilated. She wished that she could be calm, but that was impossible.

"You're going to be okay, dear, you're going to be okay," Donna soothed as she gently stroked Tara's hand locked around her knees.

"It's all my fault," Tara whispered. "It's all my fault."

"No it isn't, Tara."

"It's all my fault," Tara insisted in a whisper. She felt like a ghost of herself. _Just as I was beginning to gain confidence in myself again, it all comes crashing down. I must be a horrible person since these horrible things keep happening to me._

"You can't say that," Donna said in a controlled, calm voice. "It is not your fault."

"But it is. I was alone outside and not watching carefully..."

"It's not your fault."

"I should have known that something like this would happen."

"No one could have known."

"Maybe if I hadn't..."

"Tara," Donna interrupted firmly. She touched Tara's face gently and tilted Tara's chin toward her. "Nothing that you did caused this to happen. It is never a victim's fault. It was that man's fault that he attacked you. You can't blame yourself. It isn't your fault."

Tara gulped. Her voice was quivery. "But it must be. You don't know me. It is my fault."

Donna took a deep breath and seemed to think for a moment before asking, "Why do you say that? What do I not know about you that would make a difference?"

"Things like this always happen to me," Tara confessed softly, avoiding eye contact with Donna's sympathetic gaze. She hung her head. "Every guy in my life, with the exception of my uncle Rick, who raised me, and a few cousins and other family members, has hurt me."

"Every guy?"

Tara sighed. Donna might as well know the whole truth since she had already seen Tara in this situation. "My father abused me. By the way, since you want to know, so did my mother. All my boyfriends hurt me somehow, and the last one raped me. I seem to be a magnet for losers and abusers. See? Tonight I was randomly attacked. Does that happen to every girl that you know?" she ended bitterly.

"I'm sorry." Donna's voice held compassion. After several minutes Tara finally raised her eyes and looked at Donna. Donna's dark eyes were filled with tears. At that sign of loving sympathy Tara finally was able to release her own tears. She began to sob. Donna held the crying agent in her arms until all her tears were spent.

"Tara," Donna finally began to speak, then paused. "Let me get some tea for us. It might help you calm down. Are you fine if I go to the kitchen for a minute?"

Tara, too spent to speak, simply nodded. Donna gave her a gentle smile and draped a blanket around her before going in the kitchen. The glow of the kitchen's light spilled into the living room and Tara calmed her breathing.

 _Maybe I will be okay._

In a few minutes Donna was back with two cups of tea. She handed one to Tara who accepted it gratefully. Usually she ignored tea in preference to coffee, but the tea reminded her of similar late-night talks with her aunt. It was comforting. She sipped the hot liquid and let it soothe her tired body. The tension began to drain from her small frame and she snuggled deeper into the blanket and the couch cushions.

"Tara, I'm so sorry for all that you've been through. On top of all that, the terror that you must have experienced earlier tonight must have been nearly unbearable." Tara nodded slowly and took another sip of tea. "But nothing that you have ever done makes you deserve what has happened. No girl or woman does. I guess that after all that you've gone through it must be hard to trust men. I do want you to know that I promise you that Dimitrius is completely trustworthy. I also know all the men on his team very well and I feel confident in saying that they are also able to be trusted. You can rely on them to be your guardians. I am sure that D is thankful to have been able to help in the situation tonight."

Tara suddenly turned to Donna, panicked. "Don't tell D about my past. Please."

"He doesn't know?" Donna queried.

"No."

"I see." Donna looked Tara straight in the eye. "I won't tell him, but don't you think that that is something that he and the other men that you work with should be aware of? I'm not a phycologist, but I know from some personal studies that I've done that every abuse victim has triggers. In a job like yours, shouldn't your co-workers be aware of the possibility that you may find certain situations unnerving or triggering?"

Tara tightened her lips.

"Tara?"

"I don't want them to know."

There was a pause.

"All right. It isn't my place to share your personal information and I will guard it carefully."

"Thank you."

"Did...did that man tonight manage to...hurt you in any way before we got there?"

Tara shuddered. "Not really. He knocked me around a bit and I'll probably have some bruises tomorrow, but not like what you're meaning." _He just really hurt me psychologically_.

The women finished their tea together. Donna insisted that Tara stay the night and Tara did not resist, though she did maintain that she was fine sleeping on the couch and she did not want Donna to go to the trouble to make up one of the children's beds for her. Donna retrieved a few more blankets and a pillow for Tara.

"And you're sure that you're fine out here?" Donna asked once more.

Tara nodded, then shuddered.

"What's the matter, dear?" Donna asked kindly.

"Night mares. I just had some last night and I'm terrified of what will happen once I fall asleep," Tara admitted.

Donna sat down next to her. "You'll have to sleep sometime. You are safe here and if you need to talk to anyone if you do have bad dreams, D and I are here. And I'll pray for you."

Tara nodded and told Donna that she was fine. Donna left the room, calling behind her that she would leave the kitchen light on so that there would be a bit of light, if Tara was fine with that. Tara appreciated the gesture and finally laid down on the couch under a few fluffy blankets.

 _I_ _hope that Donna's prayers work. Maybe...maybe I could pray myself. It has been a long time since I tried to talk to God, but maybe, just maybe, He'd listen to me. "God, if You are there, please help me. Do You know what happened tonight? A guy tried to assault me. I'm scared of night mares. Please keep them away. Amen." I hope that works. I hope that there is a God and that He will answer my prayer. Of course, I haven't been a good person. But if Donna prays too, maybe there is a chance that I won't have night mares. I guess that I'll just have to sleep and see._

Tara sneaked a look at her watch before closing her eyes. It read 1:45. A lone, weary tear slowly traced its lonely way down her cheek.

 _I went to work at that time this morning. Or yesterday morning. Or whatever..._

Tara was asleep before the tear reached her pillow.


	13. Chapter 13-Take Down

**Thanks to all the readers and reviewers! Enjoy this next part!**

"Tara. Tara." A hushed voice was reaching her through the thick fog of sleep.

It was a man's voice.

Tara sat up suddenly, her heart pounding and her eyes wide open.

"Easy, calm down," D said from the door way to the room. "It's just me. Sorry to wake you so early. It's 6:00 and I just got a call to go into work. They're probably trying to reach you too. They had a break-through last night and we are going to move in as soon as possible on Jase. I can drive you to your home or your car now if you wanted, or you could call in from here if you don't feel ready to work today."

Tara calmed down. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and asked, "Why wouldn't I work today?"

"After last night..."

Tara nodded in understanding as she remembered _. Wow! I slept well last night to not have any night mares after that. Maybe those prayers worked!_ She shook her head and moved back to answering D. "I want to work today. I'm fine. Really, I am."

D frowned slightly from the doorway. Tara, even in her sleepy state of waking up, was appreciative for his thoughtfulness in keeping at a distance. She did not feel afraid of him, but the distance avoided any chance of her becoming fearful.

"I'm not sure if that is a good idea," D commented.

"Why?" Tara asked. Her concern grew as she realized that D seemed to be very speculative.

"Well, we are going to be in a high-tension situation today. Are you sure that you can handle it?"

"Yes."

"And...you also have a large bruise on your face."

"I do?" Tara reached up and felt her face. Her left cheekbone was sore and swollen. She could imagine how large the bruise must be. "Oh, great. Now I've got to hide that..."

"If you don't feel ready to handle work..."

"No. I'm going." _I can't fail Marine now. I must be there to help her. I can't show D that I am bothered by that little run-in last night-he won't think that I can handle the job. I need to do it. I have to do it. I can do it._ "I'll just use some make-up or something. How soon do I need to be at the office?"

"As soon as possible."

"Will I have time to go home to change into some new clothes and cover this bruise up?"

"Yes, of course. I'll drive you to your car or home. Which would you prefer?"

"My car, please."

"Do you want Donna to come with us or are you fine?"

"I'll be okay. Thanks though. I don't want to get her up."

"She wouldn't mind."

"I'm okay."

"Okay, then let's go."

D drove Tara to her car. She shuddered a bit as she saw the alley where the man had dragged her. She was thankful that D did not talk to her much. Her voice would have shaken and given her true feelings away. On the outside, she remained calm and collected although inside she was quivering and fearful. Once she got into her own car she took the chance to collect her scattered emotions and calm herself. She realized as she rested her hands against the steering wheel that they were shaking.

 _Marine is waiting for me to come help._

That thought sliced through her fear and she steadied herself. She glanced into her rearview mirror as she turned on her car. It was the first time that she had seen herself since she left her house for supper the evening before.

 _I look awful. That bruise is horrid-all blue, green, yellow, and purple. I'm thankful that D told me about it or I may have ended up entering the office like this. My hair could use a brushing too, and these clothes are horribly crumpled._

Tara stopped by her apartment and quickly changed and applied concealer and makeup to her face. Soon she was walking into the office, trying to be as cool and collected as any veteran agent.

"Good morning, Tara. We found Marine's swimsuit," Bobby greeted her as she entered the bull pen. At his final words, Tara's heart seemed to stop. She could not breath or move. He looked at her and frowned. "Hey? Did you get that? We've got a lead!"

"Oh, of course, yes, wonderful," Tara stumbled over her words. _What am I to say? That sounds horrible._

"It was outside of an industrial building belonging to a business that Jase worked for two years ago. Your idea was what made us search there," Shep filled in. Tara mutely nodded.

"We notified a security guard for that building and asked him if he had seen anything abnormal lately. He went by late last ngiht and found a child's swimsuit. He immediately contacted us. We've got our people watching the building. No action, but the electricity is on in the building-something abnormal for this warehouse-so we think that someone is likely there. We're preparing to move in. Get on your protective gear. We have no clue if he's armed, but there is a strong possibility, based on his previous behavior."

Tara felt stunned, then suddenly moved into action like the rest of the team. She found Shep in the busy, moving pile of bodies in the room. "Shep, am I going to be coordinating or on the scene?"

"This is your first, right? Well, this is as good a time as any for you to do it. Make sure that you have your Kevlar on. We're moving out in a few minutes."

Tara obeyed the orders. Within an hour the team was at their strike point. Tara was with D. She weighed the gun in her hands. _I hope that I don't need to use this. Oh, and I hope...I wish...I pray that Marine is okay._

"3-2-1-move in."

The agents swooped in on the building with precision and speed. The doors were knocked in and agents carefully and quickly moved in. Shouts filled the air. Commands for Jase to come out, put his hands up, this was the FBI-they all were concurrent and loud.

Then Tara saw him.

He whipped around at the noise. It was Jase Benson, more stubbly than in his photograph, but it was him. His eyes grew wide when he saw the FBI moving in on him. He reached down to his feet-Tara registered that there was a gun there and she immediately joined the yelling.

"Do NOT move! Put your hands up! Do not touch the gun! Put your hands up!"

Several agents moved toward Jase. Seeing the many guns pointed at him, Jase slowly froze and moved away from the gun as directed.

Then Tara saw her.

Marine Costel was lying on the floor. Blood stained the concrete floor around her. Her head was back. Tara thought that she looked unconscious. Carefully she surveyed the room and moved forward. D was by her side the entire time. Other agents were checking the rest of the room for any other perpetrators.

"We'll cover you, Tara," Bobby's voice told her over the microphone in her helmet. She replied-her training had kicked in because she did not have any clue what she actually said, but responses seemed to indicate that she had said the right thing.

"Marine. Marine," Tara softly spoke to the small girl, crumpled into a heap on the floor. The blood on the ground seemed to form an ever larger spot now that Tara saw it right in front on her. "Marine, my name is Tara and I'm here to help you." The girl remained motionless. Tara reached up and removed her helmet while announcing "clear" into microphone to join the chorus of the others. She did not want the helmet to scare Marine if she opened her eyes and looked up. The little girl had already been through too much.

"Marine, can you hear me?" Tara asked. She hesitantly reached out and brushed Marine's dirty, tangled hair from the child's face and moved her fingers down to Marine's neck to feel for a pulse.

The few seconds before she felt anything felt like an eternity.

Then she felt a pulse-weak, but still steady despite the amount of blood that Marine had apparently lost. Then Tara saw it-a tiny flicker of Marine's eyes.

 _There's hope._

"Get an EMT in here, now!" D demanded over the microphone. He started giving details while Tara focused on trying to get a response from Marine.

"It's okay, sweetheart, we're here to help. Can you hear me, Marine? Can you open your eyes? Please try to talk to me, Marine."

Tara took in the scene. The girl had on a crumpled, adult-sized t-shirt soaked in blood, she was bruised on nearly all of the skin that Tara could see, and scabs covered her little body. It was enough to make one sick.

 _I have to be strong for her. I've got to keep myself together. I can do it. I know that I can-at least I hope so._

Marine's swollen eyelids opened slowly. Tara gasped with joy. She's awake! "Marine, it's okay. We're going to take you to a doctor who'll help you, okay. We need you to stay awake, all right. Can you listen to me?" Marine's mouth opened and she seemed to mouthing a word.

"What is it?" Tara asked gently.

"Mommy," whispered Marine. A tear squeezed out of her eye and trickled down her dirty, swollen cheek. Tara felt her own eyes grow teary.

 _Professionalism, Williams. But I never knew how hard this would be. I can still handle it._ Tara reached out and took Marine's hand in hers. Her heart broke as she saw Marine try to smile, as if she knew that Tara would protect her. _What did she do to deserve this? Why, oh why, did this have to happen to such an innocent baby?_

The paramedics arrived and quickly took over the situation. Marine remained silent, but at the sight of the two male medical workers her eyes grew wide from fear. Tara calmly talked to her and held her hand.

"Can I go with you to the hospital? She shouldn't be alone with men right now," Tara told the paramedics. _Did any of you treat me last night? Because I personally know these things._

"Certainly, agent. You can stay with her the entire time," one paramedic informed her. Within seconds they were lifting Marine on a gurney into the ambulance. Tara scrambled into the vehicle with her. Other agents moved to get on with their jobs-some leaving for the hospital, some leaving to escort Jase Benson to jail, others moving to call Marine's worried family.

 _How they will rejoice when they hear that Marine is alive! And mourn when they learn what their precious little one has been through._

They arrived at the hospital. No one tried to separate Tara from Marine. Perhaps they saw how tightly Marine was holding onto Tara's hand with what little strength she had left. Perhaps they saw that Tara's eyes were burning with an unquenchable fire and that she would have fought any intervention tooth, nail, and claw. Perhaps they had good doses of common sense. But no one tried to remove Tara from Marine's side while they checked the girl and connected her to a multitude of machines and monitors.

"Mommy," mouthed Marine.

"She's coming, Marine, she's coming as fast as possible," promised Tara. Marine drifted in unconsciousness then and Tara could only pray in her head, hoping for the girl to live. She permitted herself to lead away so that Marine could be taken into a surgery room.

When a hysterical Lydia arrived, supported by Jennifer and Derek, Tara met her and updated her on Marine's condition-alive and being taken care of. It was all that she knew-all that anyone really knew-except that they had rescued Marine just in time. Jase had announced while being transported to jail that he had been just about ready to shoot Marine-they had rescued her with only seconds to spare. No one told Lydia, Jennifer, and Derek that part, but they still drowned the agents at the hospital in hugs and thanks. Lydia grabbed onto Tara in a bone-crushing embrace.

"You kept your word. Thank you. Thank you for saving my daughter's life," she sobbed.

"I was just doing my job, and I'm so grateful that I got to help Marine," Tara said honestly.

 _My job. It really is that now, isn't it? I did it-I helped Marine get back to her family alive. I don't think that I've ever felt more amazing in my life. This is the reason that people risk their lives every day doing this job. This is why I worked so hard for all those years. This is what I get to do as my job in the future! This is me!_

It was good to be an agent of the FBI.


	14. Chapter 14-Aftermath

**First, thanks to all my readers and reviewers! We are drawing nigh to the end, but there are still two chapters after this. I hope that you enjoy! Please remember to leave a note after you read to tell me what you thought. And now...h** **ow will Tara react to the letdown after such an emotional case? Let's go see...**

After the debriefing the team returned to the bull pen. It was early afternoon and not quitting time yet. Everyone seemed to be much more relaxed and cheerful.

 _It's like when I first came here. Was that just a week ago? It doesn't seem possible. My whole view of this job has been confirmed. I'm getting to be a part of the team. Was it just days ago that I hacked their computers and spoiled their coffee? Really?_

Tara looked up from her reports that she was filling out. Other thoughts took over as she propped her head against her hands.

 _Little Marine is alive. The hospital said that she should be okay. The blood transfusions seem to be working and she's okay. But they also said that she was sexually abused. Her head is banged up and she's suffered a concussion. Her arm is broken and her ankle is sprained. She exhibits terror anytime a male doctor or nurse enters her room. The only man who can be near her is her uncle. I get that. I've been there before-that terror. And her whole life is ahead of her. Now she'll always struggle with nightmares, fears in relationships, terror-just like me. I still can't go for more than a few months without waking up screaming or shaking through the night. I block out portions of my life, trying to forget the abuse. I can't go home to my parents because they victimized me. My relationship with my aunt and uncle is wonderful but it is always a reminder that my own parents were horrible. I can't date because I'm afraid that a man won't listen to "no". I will be back to the stage of being terrified any time that I have to walk across a dark parking lot alone, thanks to that episode last night. And now Marine will have to go through it too. Both of us will struggle because of something that we had no control over-for the rest of our lives._

As Tara was absorbed in such unhappy thoughts someone touched her. She panicked.

 _NO! Not again._ She reacted before she could think the situation through. This time she decided to attack instead of be attacked. She swung around and punched.

"Oww!" Bobby yelped and jumped back.

 _Oh, dear me! I just punched Bobby!_ Tara was horrified by the realization as she drew back and her eyes widened.

"What...?" Jack queried.

"I just...tapped...her shoulder," Bobby panted out, trying to catch his breath. He had staggered backward, but he still took a few cautious steps backward, looking at her with confused eyes.

 _I hit him straight in the stomach. Oh, I've hit him hard. He'll never believe that was an accident._ Tara began to feel panicked. They were sure to think the worst of her. _I see it now. Headlines-"Female FBI agent fired after unexplainably assaulting colleague"._

"What's the problem here?" Shep asked coming over.

"She...she punched me," Bobby stammered.

"WHAT?" Shep turned to Tara. "Why in the world would you do that?"

Tara stared at him with wide eyes. _How in the world am I to explain this? I can barely make myself understandable when I'm calm. Anything that I say now...well, I don't know what to say!_

"Tara, why?" He demanded again.

Tara just looked at him with what she was sure was a blank look. _Why? How can I explain this?_

Just then D came into the room. He stopped short and looked at all the people gathered around Tara's desk. He seemed to take in her blank look, Shep's frown, and Bobby's bewilderment in one glance and moved to her side. "What's going on? No one seems to be finishing up all those reports."

"She punched him," Shep pointed to Bobby, "and I want to know why."

Tara blinked hard. "I'm sorry. I just...reacted."

"What to?" D asked. It was not demanding or accusing. It was friendly and trusting, understanding that she _would_ have a real reason.

Tara avoided eye contact with anyone while she answered quietly, "He touched me."

"Oh," D replied.

 _He understands._

"I just tapped your shoulder," Bobby replied.

Tara sighed. "I know. It just...just startled me, that's all." She finally looked up to Bobby. "I'm so sorry, Bobby. I was thinking and I was just..."

"It's okay." Bobby shook it off. "We've all been there before."

Tara tried to nod, but it felt very jerky.

 _At least he isn't going to kill me. But he hasn't been here before-at least I doubt that he has._

D cleared his throat. "Hey, it's been a stressful day everyone. Maybe we should just finish up this work before it's time to go." Tara caught D exchanging a glance with Shep.

"I second that," Shep spoke up. "Finish up, guys. And Tara. Go ahead, get at it."

Tara turned back to her work but her focus was still slightly off. She scribbled away on her reports and tapped away on her computer. She focused the best that she could under the circumstances and succeeded in finishing most of her report.

"Hey," D said from the edge of Tara's desk. He looked around the room. Everyone was working on their own reports. He turned back to Tara and spoke softly. "Did this case bother you?"

 _He's figuring it out._ "No!" she snapped. _I don't need to be so spicy in how I'm treating people. I just don't know if I can help it though._

"Come on, kid," D coaxed softly. "Did your parents ever teach you not to lie?"

Tara froze. She was transported back.

 _Her mother pinned tiny Tara against the wall. "What did you tell them?" her mother demanded. "What did you tell them?"_

 _"I told them that I was home."_

 _"I told you to tell them that you were at a doctor's."_

 _"But I wasn't."_

 _Her mother pushed harder against her and her nails dug into Tara's chin._

 _"Ouch."_

 _"I told you that you were to say that you were at the doctor."_

 _"But I wasn't..."_

 _Her mother slapped her. "Just say what I tell you. Don't ever ignore what I say again-ever!"_

 _Suddenly she was transported to a separate to a different time. Her father was holding her down, his full weight on her. She was breathing hard. The heavy stench of alcohol seemed to drown her._

 _"No matter what people ask, do not ever tell them about this. Understand?" She struggled and he pinched her while pressing harder against her. "Understand, Tara? Understand?"_

 _She finally whimpered, "Yes."_

"Tara."

Tara was pulled back to the present, but the past had already done its damage. She could not help it-she started crying.

"What's the matter?" D asked.

"My...oh, I can't...it..." Tara began sobbing. The weight of the last few days and the trauma of the years came back in a rush. The knowledge that everyone was staring at her did not help. Despite struggling against it, her tears would not stop. D slowly reached out and gently touched her shoulder.

"Maybe we should go down to one of the conference rooms," he suggested. Tara let him lead her to one. He closed the door behind them, then turned to her. "Are you comfortable with the door closed or do you want it left a bit open?"

Tara shrugged, wiping at her tears. She walked across the room to the other end of the table. With that much space she could still feel comfortable.

"I'll leave it closed then so that we can have some privacy. Now, what's the matter?"

Tara shook her head. "Nothing."

D sighed. "If so, why are you so upset?" He was gentle as he continued. "Are you okay? Like, did you get hurt yesterday?"

"No. I'm fine." That was short, but I can't respond any other way when I'm crying.

"Then is it today?" Tara tried to ignore him. I don't want to talk to him. Not about this.

The silence did not seem to disturb D. "I know the cases with children are always hard. I'm sorry that this is your first case."

Tara continued to ignore him.

"Tara, we can't get far if you don't talk."

"I'm fine. It wasn't nice, but I'm fine."

"I don't believe you."

Silence. D took a seat.

"Fine. We can wait."

Tara finally spoke up but did not look at him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Look at me." Tara attempted to ignore him but he was quietly persistent. She finally looked up at him. "Whatever is bothering you, I think that we need to talk about this because it is important that any problems that you're facing be dealt with now." Tara looked away. "Do you want to talk to a counsellor or psychiatrist instead?"

"NO _._ "

 _I've talked to enough of those. None of them helped._

"So talk to me. I'm supposed to be responsible for you right now, and that would include how you are handling this mentally and emotionally."

"I don't want to talk." _I sound like a brat._

"Tara, you're stubborn. I can see that. But we aren't going to leave here until we find out something to fix this problem."

 _It can't be fixed._

She crossed her arms across her chest and turned away. _I am stubborn. I am not giving up to him._

They waited quietly in the room. Tara glanced up several times but D was not giving in either. He was waiting patiently. Time crept by slowly. Tara found herself relaxing despite herself.

"What was it, Tara?" he finally asked.

 _I might as well tell him. He'll find out sometime if I don't tell him. And Donna knows anyway. She promised not to tell, but he might find out from her somehow_. She took a deep, quavery breath.

"You know what you said about my parents?" she began.

"Can you remind me? I can't remember that exactly. What did I say?"

"My parents teaching me to tell the truth?"

"Yes?"

"Well..." Speaking was so hard. "My parents did not teach me to tell the truth. They...they taught me to lie."

D turned to look her head-on.

"Can you explain more?"

Here I go. "I was not raised by my parents. I was rescued from them by my aunt and uncle. My uncle literally rescued me from being sexually assaulted when I was a little kid. My parents spent time in jail and I don't know where they are today, and I don't want to. My father and mother taught me to lie-if I didn't say whatever they told me to say I was in major trouble. It took years for my aunt and uncle to encourage me to actually be able to tell them the truth without fear of being beaten or screamed at."

D took a deep breath. "I had no clue. You...that case must have been hard."

Tara plunged onward. "I've struggled with nightmares all my life. They got really bad when we first started this case. I've also had a bad history with relationships. Every boyfriend that I've had has hurt me. The final one raped me during college. I guess that some-well, most-elements of Marine's story upset me. I understand a lot of what she went through and what she will go through. She isn't fully rescued now. She's got plenty of terror ahead and so do I. So that's why my problem is unfixable and why I can't be all sunshine and rainbows like everyone else. And I guess that is the reason why I reacted so much and punched Bobby today."

"I'm sorry."

Tara nodded. _So is everyone who has ever found out._

"Next time if a case is too emotionally difficult for you, please just let someone know so that you can be removed from the case."

Tara wiped at her eyes and nodded. "Thanks. But I had to show that I was tough enough, that I could do it. I didn't want to fail on my first case."

D came over and patted her on the shoulder. "You didn't fail. Thanks to you and your hard work, dedication, and awesome ideas, little Marine Costel is back with her family."

Tara managed a small smile between the tears.

"I'm sorry that you've had to come to a point where men scare you. I'm guessing that this case and the issue last night must have been pretty hard for you. You've got to be strong to have survived this past week. I don't know if I could have handle such trauma as well as you did as a new agent. But I do want you to know that you don't need to be afraid. All of these men on the team have done many background checks. You can trust them. They won't hurt you. And I can promise you that Donna and I will help you all that we can."

Tara nodded again and wiped more tears off of her face.

"There's only one question that I have for you, Tara."

"What is that?"

"Will you trust us?"

Tara looked and paused for a moment. She finally nodded.

"I can't promise anything-especially not fast. But I'll try."

D patted her shoulder and smiled at her. "That's all that anyone could possible ask."


	15. Chapter 15-Baby Steps

**Second last chapter, guys! Thanks to all who have read and reviewed the last few chapters. You all encourage me! Now, please enjoy this chapter. After you finish, comment what you think will happen next. And now, on to the story...**

It took awhile but Tara began to trust. As her main partner D proved himself again and again as trustworthy, keeping his promise to help her overcome her past. He had patience for her every day no matter what her mood was. He gave her space when she needed it but pushed her on when necessary, even when it annoyed her. Although she often disliked admitting it, D's good judgment was often proved to be right. D also got Tara to work with the other men. At first she often found it scary to be paired with a different male partner, but with some coaching from D and Donna she became more confident. As Tara began to get to know each of the men she became more comfortable with working with them. Little experiences and tiny facts built up her confidence. It was small things, like when a man made a sexist remark to her while she was out with Bobby and Jack. She had rarely felt so protected than when both of the agents forced an apology from the man.

"He won't be saying anything like that again anytime soon," Bobby said when he and Jack escorted her away from the rattled man.

This is nice to feel so protected.

Shep and Myles saved her life during a raid, jointly pushing and pulling her out of the line of fire several seconds before shots were fired. After that Tara knew that she could trust both of them with her life any time, although she never flattered them with that information-at least vocally. She did show that trust in other ways, such as not fighting against being paired with them.

Eventually Tara was able to build up enough trust to not flinch or worry when the men raised their voices. She had learned to mask those feelings of fear when she attended college to make herself seem more confident than she actually was, but now she was no longer acting. She truly felt safe. It surprised her when she realized that she was able to be calm even when the men argued about details on cases or disagreed on other matters.

D and Donna invited her to spend time with their family quite often. Tara grew to view them and their children, Tanya and Davy, as extended family. They helped her to get accustomed to D.C., frequently inviting her to go on outings with them or come over for one of Donna's delicious home-cooked meals. Between their outings and her work Tara became accustomed to what areas were safe and which areas were unsafe. Tanya and Davy were both so disappointed that Tara was going home to her aunt and uncle for Christmas that Donna planned a special Christmas so that Tara could have Christmas with them before leaving for her family home. She treasured the necklace that the Ganses gave her. The tiny gold angel around her neck was a constant reminder that the people around her were like guardian angels.

By the end of her first year Tara was able to handle physical contact. When, during an undercover, Bobby hugged her and kissed her cheek, pretending that she was his girlfriend, she did not find it too hard to relax. She even hugged him back. It felt good to be confident instead of cowering.

Nearly a year after joining the FBI she had her birthday. She did not even remember that it was her birthday after coming out of a long week of work, and her phone was dead so she missed the messages from Aunt Stacey and Uncle Rick, but her co-workers and the Gans family remembered, surprising her with a party. It was nice to have people who cared enough about her to remember special dates like and to spend time with her.

After a while Tara even began to date again. She realized that she would never have a perfect relationship life, but she did regain hope that someday she would find love to brighten her life. But her dating life did not always go smoothly and at some points it was honestly very rough. One day she was at work and told D that she was going on a date that night.

"With who?"

"Jeff Madsen, one of the accountants."

"No you're not." D's voice was firm and invited no argument.

"What do you mean?" Tara turned to him. "I'm going on a date with him tonight."

"That's what I mean," D replied. "You can't."

"Why not? Do we need to work tonight?"

"No. I don't want you to date that guy."

Tara could feel her irritation growing. What is he not telling me? And why does he think that he can stop me from going on a date? "Why not?"

"It just isn't good. I don't want you to go out with him. Please, Tara, listen to me."

Tara frowned. "And if I want to?"

D came over and stared into her eyes. "I'm going to let you go out with him because it would be wrong for me to do so."

"I'm an adult and you're not my parent. This is my choice."

"Fine. But it doesn't matter. I'm not letting you. I can't let you." He paused. "Tara, please just respect my wishes on this. I can't explain, but just trust me, okay?"

Tara had tightened her lips and ignored him. She did not go on the date that night-honestly believing that D was probably surveiling her- but she still was not happy with D. She gave him the cold shoulder for a week. At the end of that week, however, her attitude changed.

She learned that Jeff Madsen was being suspended for misconduct toward several female employees.

With no small amount of shame and regret Tara went over to apologize to D.

"D, I'm sorry," she started, but he stopped her.

"You found out?"

"About Jeff Madsen? Yes."

"That's why I stopped you. I knew about it but couldn't compromise anything by discussing it. I hated being so mysterious and demanding, but I didn't want anything to..."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, who are you dating next?"

"No one, but I'll tell you next time. You can do the criminal record checks for me anytime."

Besides D care for her, Donna was also very protective. She checked up on Tara often, encouraging and scolding her by turns. It was like having a copy of her aunt living nearby, and Tara loved it-at least most of the time.

As time passed Tara began to transform into a confident, beautiful, talented FBI agent with a good reputation for both her work and her personality. There were always people helping her and building her up, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Offers to work out with her, praise at work, unconditional love and protection had their effect. She had a job that she loved and a new family made up of agents and friends in D.C..

...

And now it was almost Father's Day-only two days remained until the special day. Tara shook off the memories of the last few years and looked around her in the shop.

 _Good thing that I left early. I've been thinking too much and shopping too little. I need to hurry so that I can be done here in the store and get to work before_ D.


	16. Chapter 16-The Card

**And here we are-the end of "Tara Story". Thank you to all who have read, reviewed, and enjoyed this story! Special thanks to "Goof", "DD", and all of the guests who have left such encouraging reviews. I have been working on "Tara Story" for two or three months now. It was my first "Sue Thomas: F B Eye" fan fiction and I have absolutely loved writing and sharing it with you! If you liked this story, please share it with friends or family who you think would enjoy reading it. Follow me or check my profile often so that you can read my other stories.**

 **Now, please enjoy and God bless!**

Tara was at her desk before any one else. She looked around the room. It had changed slightly during the three years since she had first joined the bureau. Some members had left. Susan had moved to a different team and the current rotor was Lucy. Joe had been forced to leave the FBI after some issues and Shep had been killed while on a case. Myles, Bobby, Jack, and D were still there however, and Tara was now fully comfortable with all of them. They knew enough of her story to know that she had some struggles to overcome. She had eventually shared that she was a victim of domestic and sexual abuse. They respected her privacy, never pushing for more information than she was comfortable sharing, and they made her feel safe whenever she was with them. Tara was forever thankful to them.

The office slowly filled. Tara bantered with the others as they arrived. Jack and Bobby, between discussing a big game from the night before, consulted with her about some information on a case. Myles came in, proudly announcing the latest art title that he had added to his collection.

"It's called Midnight Sunlight," Myles announced.

"The title doesn't even make sense. It must be confusing," Jack said.

"It is an artistic title," Myles defended his painting. "I would not expect you to understand it, but all the finest art critics are raving about it."

"That proves how many crazy people are in the world," mentioned Bobby. Tara looked up, expecting fireworks. Before anything interesting developed D entered. Tara immediately tried to look busy at her desk while simultaneously keeping one eye on D.

 _I hope that he understands. If not, this is going to be embarrassing._

D went over to his desk and sorted through some files while greeting the team members.

"Good morning, Tara."

"Good morning, D."

"What's this?" Tara heard D mumble to himself as he picked up the card that she had put onto his desk. She pretended to be extremely absorbed with her computer screen. D opened the card and started reading it. At the end he was blinking fast and seemed to be suspiciously as close to crying as Tara had ever seen him. He rubbed his hand over his face and smiled a bit.

Tara's heart was pounding. _Is that a good sign?_

D looked up and seemed about to say something to her. Tara felt her throat tighten.

Just then a phone rang at D's desk. He shrugged helplessly at Tara and answered it. In a few seconds he was alert and ready for action.

 _New details on a case_ , Tara guessed.

D hung up. "Details on the Rainstone Company case," he announced triumphantly. "Gather round, kids."

When he said "kids", D winked at Tara. She smiled and winked back. He had understood the card and the message behind it.

Tara joined the others near the case board. She glanced around the semicircle. There they were-refined Myles, carefree Bobby, romantic Lucy, charming Jack, and fatherly D.

 _My family_. The thought made Tara feel warm and happy. This family had helped her grow in a way that her other one could not. It was an unconventional form of family but that was exactly what it was.

Looking around her FBI family Tara recalled what she had written in the card for D.

" _Dear D,_

 _I just wanted to say thank you for the influence that you have been in my life. You know my past and you have helped me overcome so many of my problems._

 _When I joined the FBI nearly three years ago I did not expect to gain a new family but that is exactly what happened. You have become such an important part of my life. My biological father does not deserve the title of "father" as he was the one ruined my trust in men. My uncle rescued me and he and my aunt did their best to help and support me. However, it was not until I came here that I was truly able to make steps forward and begin to heal. You (and Donna!) have helped me so much in that process. In that way, you have become my FBI dad. I just wanted to thank you._

 _Happy Father's Day._

 _Love,_

 _Tara_ "

The past was in the past-it affected her but it did not have to define her. She had proven that to others and, most importantly, to herself. Life and the future were bright. With the amazing people in her life there was no way that it could be anything but.

 _I am blessed._

The End


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